IBTPEOTMLC 12

Chapter 12

The grand conference hall of the temple.

High Priests sat around a long, circular table. At the head of the table sat the Pope, who gestured with his chin. In response, one priest rose to his feet.

Amid the solemn atmosphere, High Priest Sandra began her report regarding the barrier surrounding the Forest of Curses.

“We conducted a thorough investigation over the past fifteen days, and it is certain that cracks have formed in the barrier.”

The Pope slowly tapped the table with his thick fingers.

It was the first such incident since the First Saint had erected the barrier.

If the once-unshakable barrier had suddenly cracked, there had to be a reason.

“And you still don’t know the cause?”

“My apologies. We were unable to determine the exact cause. There were no unusual phenomena whatsoever in the vicinity of the Forest of Curses.”

After pausing briefly, Sandra continued.

“We attempted to purify the area and repair the barrier, but holy power would not flow into it at all.”

“Then perhaps it’s about time for a Saint to appear again…”

The Pope muttered quietly.

If the priests’ holy power was ineffective, his own power likely wouldn’t be enough to mend the cracks either.

Even so, he intended to visit the forest immediately after the meeting and try using his own holy power.

“One fortunate thing is that there are no signs of the barrier deteriorating further.”

“I’ll go see it myself first. If the barrier remains unchanged even then, we’ll shorten the purification cycle for the Forest of Curses.”

At present, there was little they could do beyond regularly purifying and monitoring it.

They needed to inspect the barrier more frequently and prevent the cracks from spreading.

Reports concerning the Forest of Curses would be increased, and teams would be reorganized to include more priests with high levels of holy power.

“Should we assign theology students as well?”

“If their holy power is strong enough. But make sure at least two High Priests accompany them.”

The more practical experience one had, the better one could control holy power.

It would naturally be a valuable opportunity for the students as well.

The Pope never missed a chance to nurture promising young talent.

Then he suddenly grinned like a beast.

“Make sure Hedwin is included. There isn’t another child with that much holy power.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Do not forget the words of the First Saint.”

At the Pope’s reminder, everyone recalled a passage left behind by the First Saint.

“Continuously purify and watch over the barrier of the Forest of Curses so that it never breaks.”

Following the First Saint’s will, the temple had never taken its eyes off the forest.

Very little information about the forest had been passed down through the generations.

The only thing known was that something existed within it and that it was being sealed.

Even after access had been forbidden following the creation of the barrier, adventurous fools occasionally entered the forest and never returned.

Those sent to search for them never came back either.

On top of that, beastly howls could often be heard from nearby, which was how it came to be known as the Forest of Curses.

The First Saint had left behind no explanation other than protecting the barrier and prohibiting entry, so no one knew the truth.

“If any other issues arise, report them immediately.”

With the Pope’s final words, the meeting came to an end.

Since so little was known about the forest and its barrier, the discussion could only be brief.

The Pope rose from his seat.

“Let’s head to the Forest of Curses immediately.”

The High Priests followed after him.

Unfortunately, even the Pope’s holy power failed to produce the slightest effect on the barrier.

* * *

“Oried, aren’t you going to eat this?”

I’d bought him a sandwich because he said he wanted one, but instead of eating it, Oried was staring intently somewhere else.

I followed his gaze.

Three people—a man and two women—were chatting together nearby.

“What is it? Are you sensing something from them too?”

[Coco.]

Oried suddenly called my name seriously and climbed onto my lap.

Attempting and failing to cross his round little arms, he asked:

[Those people are strange.]

Strange?

I looked at them again.

They seemed no different from anyone else.

“What’s strange about them?”

[That man calls that woman Karlina, but that man calls her Lina.]

His comment sounded insignificant, so I answered casually.

“That’s just a nickname.”

[A nickname?]

As I’d read in the book Venus gave me, spirits really knew surprisingly little about humans.

Apparently, that was simply part of their nature.

They were wary creatures who kept their distance from people.

Without exceptional affinity, summoning a spirit wasn’t even possible.

Furthermore, spirits rarely revealed themselves to humans.

So it wasn’t strange that Oried didn’t know what a nickname was.

Lately, watching him display exactly the habits described in the book had become one of my favorite pastimes.

“It’s a special name used only by family members, close friends, or lovers. It shows you’re closer and more affectionate than ordinary people.”

[You! You!]

Suddenly becoming excited, Oried grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked it.

He looked oddly resentful.

I tried to pry my hair free, but his grip was absurdly strong.

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden? That hurts.”

My scalp was about to come off.

Ignoring my suffering, Oried shouted:

[Why are you only telling me this now?!]

“Telling you what? About nicknames?”

[Yes! I want a nickname! Give me one!]

“…Out of nowhere?”

[Now I know about them!]

“Alright, calm down.”

Easy there.

At this rate he might start breathing fire.

Though as an earth spirit, maybe dirt instead—

Sensing my wandering thoughts instantly, Oried floated up and stopped in front of my face.

Then he bit my nose.

“……”

[Give me a nickname.]

“Let go of my nose first.”

His eyes sparkled as he immediately released me.

Rubbing my nose, I could feel tiny teeth marks.

Meanwhile, Oried grabbed my index finger and shook it impatiently.

After thinking for a moment, I stared at him.

A nickname, huh?

What would suit him?

People usually shortened names.

Then…

“How about Ori?”

The moment the words left my mouth, Oried began jumping around happily.

He bounced up and down, wiggling his body excitedly.

It was surprisingly adorable.

Then he stared at me and pointed a finger.

[What’s your nickname, Coco?]

“I don’t have one.”

My name was already short enough.

And there wasn’t anyone who’d use one anyway.

[Then I’ll make one.]

Apparently expecting me to refuse, Oried spoke first.

[How about Coco-Coco?]

“That’s longer than my actual name.”

Ignoring Oried’s hopeful gaze, I stood up.

[You like it, right?]

“I’m perfectly happy with just Coco.”

[Really? Well, Coco-Coco does sound like it would twist your tongue.]

What kind of friend gives someone a nickname like that?

Pretending not to notice my glare, Oried settled on top of my head.

Watching him, I tilted my head.

“You aren’t hiding yourself?”

[As long as I don’t talk, people think I’m a doll.]

He’d never done this before.

Suddenly, Oried was being stubborn.

Maybe because I’d given him a nickname.

Perhaps he wanted to stay beside me without hiding.

“You’ll attract attention.”

[Then tell them to close their eyes!]

“Why are you so selfish?”

[Because I take after my owner.]

“I’m your friend, not your owner.”

[That doesn’t change the fact that I take after you.]

I’d heard that when spirits formed bonds with owners or close humans, they grew rapidly.

They absorbed speech patterns, behaviors, and attitudes like a sponge soaking up water.

It felt as though I was watching that growth process unfold firsthand.

“Don’t take after me.”

[No!]

The moment I said that, Oried shouted and vanished into hiding.

Apparently I’d offended him again somehow.

If I left him alone, he’d calm down eventually.

Though usually it required bribing him with tasty food.

Then I noticed the sandwiches in my hands.

“Ori, at least eat your sandwich first.”

I expected him to keep sulking, but he immediately reappeared and grabbed the sandwich.

For some reason, he looked extremely pleased.

[I really like nicknames. It feels like we’re closer now.]

Apparently one nickname had completely melted away his bad mood.

[So where are we going now?]

“To meet Bay. I need to hear how things are progressing.”

Only after Oried finished eating did I finally get to meet Bay.

Bay handed me a report specifically prepared so that a beginner like me could understand it easily.

I appreciated the consideration.

Thanking him with a slight bow, I opened the report.

At the same time, Bay began explaining.

“If you look at the very last page, you’ll find the deed for the Loro Mine.”

Turning to the final page, I found the land deed.

Although it was technically under Bay’s name, seeing an actual deed still felt strangely moving.

I’d only heard about it verbally before.

This was the first time I’d seen official documents.

It truly felt like the beginning.

“And this is the contract.”

“A contract?”

“Lady Venus was worried you might feel uneasy, so she asked us to draft one. It’s notarized by the temple, so there’s no need to worry.”

He handed me the contract unexpectedly.

As I read through it, my eyes widened.

“W-Wait, this is…”

“You never know when humans might betray you. Ah, not that I intend to betray you, of course.”

Mixing in a joke, Bay continued.

“This contract states that every property purchased under my name will be transferred to you once you come of age.”

It was a safeguard to prevent anyone from stealing the land and running away.

If it had come from someone else, I’d have been suspicious.

But since it came from Bay and Venus, I wasn’t sure how to feel.

“Venus told you to make this?”

“Yes. Doesn’t it put your mind at ease?”

“…Yes. Thank you for being so considerate.”

Now I no longer needed to entertain any lingering doubts.

“But it says every property purchased under your name. What if you want to buy land for yourself?”

“You’re even worried about me…”

Of course I was.

Bay seemed oddly touched by such a simple concern.

Avoiding his gaze awkwardly, I listened as he explained.

“I’ll temporarily place my assets under Lady Venus’s name. Though saying I’m entrusting them to her is somewhat inaccurate, since they practically belong to her already.”

In other words, during the contract period, Bay wouldn’t conduct any personal business under his own name.

Until I became an adult, he intended to work entirely as my assistant.

Otherwise, there was no reason for him to create a contract so overwhelmingly favorable to me.

“Make sure you keep the contract safe.”

After reminding me, Bay returned to the topic of the Loro Mine.

“As I mentioned before, miners have already been deployed and excavation has begun.”

There were currently around thirty miners working there, with more to be added depending on circumstances.

The report meticulously listed the workforce, machinery, equipment, and expenses involved.

All costs were marked as being covered by Venus and Bay.

I stared at the figures.

“We don’t know how quickly the minerals will be found. It could take as little as a month or as long as two or three.”

“Then I should probably keep looking at other land in the meantime.”

“Would it be alright if I came with you?”

Caught off guard by the offer, I nodded enthusiastically.

If Bay came along, I’d be able to inspect far more properties.

At the moment, I could only wander around areas near the capital.

A young girl traveling alone attracted too much attention and carried risks of kidnapping, so I had to be cautious.

Going far away by myself was difficult.

“Of course! I’d actually been wanting to ask you. Thank you.”

“You seem awfully happy about it.”

This was my chance to take a train and travel farther from the capital.

The thought of discovering more land prospects filled me with excitement.

Bay watched me with an affectionate smile.

Feeling embarrassed, I cleared my throat and made one request.

“Could you keep things quiet until the minerals are actually discovered?”

Curiosity burned brightly but faded just as quickly.

If people spent too long wondering about these gemstones and nothing happened, it could easily breed resentment instead.

I didn’t want people saying:

“What is it?”

I wanted to avoid them saying:

“How amazing could it possibly be? Why all this fuss already?”

and developing negative feelings.

Though honestly…

Even if they did, it wouldn’t matter much.

Once I revealed that, all their complaints would disappear.

What worried me wasn’t rumors.

It was the interference of competitors.