{You and her were fated to bring order, happiness and contentment upon all of the mortals in this world… Though you are someone who can be and had the power to be a deity, you never sat upon that throne, nor did you let anyone do that because you knew that it would bring nothing more but ruin to the future of this world… But because of that fool's ambition and selfishness, all of Creation must fall to sin, evil and strife… sister must do what she must do to save even just a miniscule portion of these poor mortals… and instead of your smile, she must see pure anguish on your visage as she took her last breaths. Truly… this world has damned all of us… and yet, here we are in the dusk of this world's future.}
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It has been 257,910 sunsets and counting since Spirit Law and Spirit Love formed a pact that made them co-rulers of the northern continent's states and people. Under their directing and caring leadership, the people of the north became a tightly knit society, with one city-state providing their bounty of resources with others who lack it and are bountiful on another trade. And under the concordant of Spirits formed by the co-ruling Spirits, monster after monster died, never to harm humanity again and feed from their negativity.
It cannot be more exemplified than during the 167th Winter under the Guardian Spirit Era where a harsh north-eastern blizzard hit the westernmost parts of the land, drowning entire fields of land in a layer of snow as high as hills and turning the inhabitants of the people to despair for their fate.
It was later found out by Spirit Knowledge through his Insight Stone that a Psych-Malignance which took the form of a gigantic wolf and fed on the despair of people was responsible for the encroaching blizzard.
With that information, The Guardian Spirit, Love, sent her fellow Spirits to reach out and evacuate the affected people whom she would later house inside her palace to calm the despair and misery that they sustained due to the calamity. Meanwhile, Spirit Law, Spirit Justice and Spirit Faith rushed to the icy wastelands of the north pole, battling the monster and its cohorts of malignances in a fight that took 53 days to conclude due to the sheer number and power of the monsters. Through Spirit Knowledge's Minuere-type Insight Stones that are provided in major cities in the northern continent for the sake of cross-settlement communication, the people of the Northern continent watched the three spirits battle the monster that caused that disaster to them.
Spirit Faith provided a field of light and warmth for the two warrior Spirits, nullifying the effects of the freezing temperature and lack of sunshine in the battlefield during the winter solstice. Spirit Justice became famous during this televised battle after she wielded her bow of lightning that tore through wave after wave of Malignances that aimed to interrupt Spirit Faith's barrier field. It was said that even the ashes of those monsters were erased from existence through the sheer destructive power of her lightning arrows.
But unsurprisingly, the one who caught much of the attention and cheer of the people was Spirit Law after he was seen decimating the monsters who are protecting the Malignant Wolf. With his crimson-colored spear on hand and his millions of days of experience in battle, no monster was able to even scratch him and as he began to walk forward to push their offensive, it was said that none of the minor Malignances even tried to block him in fear of dying, something that Malignances, who are beings of chaos and void, were known not to be afraid of.
The battle against the Malignant Winter Wolf was one of unimaginable proportions. With none of the interloping minor Malignances left after only 10 days of fighting, the rest of the 53 days was spent on tiring, pacifying and slaying the monster of the unending winter.
Spirit Faith was finally freed from her duty of providing supportive light and warmth and brought her Divine Weapon to her hand, a thick book whose covers was made of pure white leather and rimmed with pure gold which she refers to as "The Words of Devotion".
Spirit Justice also discarded her bow of lightning in favor of her Divine Weapon, "Sin-Searing Righteousness". A sword that glows with the purest purple glow of lightning that acts both as her weapon of war and a symbol of her untainted righteous authority.
Meanwhile, there was nothing more to be said for Spirit Law other than the fact that after pulling back his spear from the body of a minor Malignance that he just killed, the people noticed that only then did he show his true power through the bright crimson glow of his Divine Weapon.
The fight lasted for one and a half months with the trio of Spirits landing blow after blow on the monster who responded by raising massive spikes of ice from the ground or bellowing out freezing air out of its mouth that was enough to freeze the sea around the battlefield.
It was only after Spirit Faith formed an orb of compressed air which Spirit Law used to launch himself upwards to perform a plunging strike on the tired monster's head which shattered its skull, did Spirit Justice had the perfect opportunity to bring down the scathing mass of lightning at the clouds over them into her sword, and formed a slash that cleanly cut off the malignant beast's neck from its body.
Throughout the reign of the two co-ruling Spirits, the northern continent became a paradise for all who are willing to follow the rules of its land and care for each other. There were no wars, no lack in any needs, no contempt to foster Malignances and even outdated or evil traditions such as the Paganic value of sexual intercourse, human sacrifices and prejudice on educated women was erased in a matter of several generations.
Truly, life during those times were the best.
But as coincidences that these Spirits thought to be just meaningless events piled up, a monster that cannot be defeated by battle slowly reached out to the surface world from the old Original world, casting its shadow on the land of peace and happiness that it sorely hates and wishes to destroy.
And to fulfill its wishes, it eyed a naïve young being like the serpent that was said to have tempted humanity into its sinful existence.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"It's a beautiful day again, don't you think?"
"It is… the sunshine is mild, the autumn wind is refreshing, the smell of newly harvested wheat that are being turned into baked breads wafts around the air, and…"
"And?"
"The warmth behind my head is as satisfying to the heart as it always has been."
It has been a long time since I came to this land, met this female spirit and became her co-ruler… Long enough for me to slowly forget the nomadic and uneventful life that I used to live for millions of sunsets before.
"Muu… I really spoiled you too much. I offered you a lap pillow while you're resting after you returned with Justice and Faith from the north pole, and ever since then, you refused to rest unless your head is on my lap."
"I don't know why… but it's just very comfortable for me."
"Because it's warm?"
"I don't think so… I used to rest my head on the wooly body of sleeping lambs which are as soft and warm as this, but it's still not comfortable enough."
"Really? Hmm… what could be the cause of this then?"
"Maybe because it's you?"
"Because of me, huh…? Eh?"
As I was resting on her lap sidewards, I was able to see a confused… no, an ashamed expression, on her face after I spoke out what I think my reason is.
"What's wrong? Your face is red. Are you unwell?"
"Muu! This is your fault, dummy! Why are you saying those words while being completely clueless about it!"
"Ow! Ow!!! S-Stop pinching me!"
"Hmph! You have to be taught your lesson! Take this!!!"
As pathetic as it may sound, the injuries I sustain after fighting the monsters who harmed our land felt nothing against Love's pinching and open palm hitting of me whenever I somehow do something that makes her face flush red.
"Hey there, Law!"
"Oh, Knowledge… It's rare to see you outside of your library in Caelestia."
"Ehehe… It's maintenance day for the Minuere-type Insight Stones in the cities. I have to be here to help out in fixing them since I am their inventor."
"I see. It's a huge help indeed to have those around. Not only do they act as communication tools, they can also be used to show what is happening in a certain place so we can quickly respond to arising issues."
"I was right, ain't I? We got to save those people and gather information about that wolf malignance before you three went to subdue it."
"Yeah. We have you to thank for that."
This is Spirit Knowledge, spiritual sister of Love who had some kind of shy personality until lately. Love used to say that ever since both of them materialized in this world, he would usually lock himself in his own Subspace, watching over a certain patch of land to collect information or seek a logical way to understand living beings such as animals and humans. Lately though, after he and Love ascended to become Celestial Spirits under my suggestion and approval, he seemed to have used his newly received power and wider vision around the world to bring objects and knowledge for the betterment and convenience of our people.
"By the way, why do you have pinch spots and a swollen cheek?"
"Ahh… It's your sister's fault."
"Ehh?"
"I wanted to take a nap, so she let me rest my head on her lap while she's having her afternoon tea. She asked me why I keep on pestering her to let me rest on her lap and after I answered truthfully, she began pinching and hitting me until I had no choice but to stand up and make my escape."
"…"
"She's weird sometimes…"
"Yeah… weird…"
I thought that since he is his sister, Knowledge would be able to relate to me somehow, but instead of an expression of exasperation and annoyance for her, his face has a deadpan look towards me as if he is annoyed at me.
"H-Hey… is something wrong?"
"Yes… but I don't think this one's on me."
"E-Eh?"
"I kinda pity my sister for having to go that far to make things obvious to you."
"Obvious… what are you guys talking about?"
"You really don't know?"
"Nuh-uh."
"Ehh?"
"Eh?"
It felt really awkward to talk to him like this… it's as if we're not speaking in the same language.
"Haah… I believe it's better if you learn it your own way. There's no point in telling you about that when you're clearly not ready for it."
"Hey, what are you talking about? Why does this thing sound like it's really important?"
"I guess it is kind of important to some degree… Like, it can change the future if you finally learn it and take action."
"I-It's that important…?!"
"It does… I guess?"
I'm gonna be honest, the way that he spoke about this with me certainly made me feel like I am locked in an ultimatum. As if something bad would happen if I didn't get to know it and do what must be done as soon as possible.
"Anyways, I have other Insight Stones to fix on the other cities, so I'll be leaving now. Go figure out how you'd handle things or sister would probably cry or just outright jump you if you're too slow."
"J-Jump me? You mean attack me?!"
"Heh… Given her impatience in these kinds of things, I do see her as someone who may do just that."
"Ehh?"
Before dissipating to particles of light which would teleport him back to Caelestia, Knowledge told me that Love may end up "jumping me" if I don't figure out things quickly.
"Geez… just what is this thing all about? Did I do something wrong that's enough for her to break our promise of non-aggression?"
I can't remember doing or saying anything that would cause her enough grief to attack me… and the fact that Knowledge is the one telling me about this instead of her makes me more nervous. After all, if it seemed as obvious as day for him, how did I end up not noticing it?
Regardless, I cannot know about it if I just stand around here. So, I decided to visit some friends who might know or have insights about it.
"It's Guardian Spirit Law!"
"The Guardian Spirit is here!!!"
First on my list is the place where Justice usually hangs out, a city-state in the easternmost part of the northern continent named Kleiv. It is renowned for its highly fertile grounds and favorable climates that made it the primary food producer of the lands that we hold.
"Hey, Spirit! Please sample our new bread!"
"Ah."
"Oh! Please eat them with this berry jam that I made!"
"Ehehe… Alright, alright…"
Additionally, the people of Kleiv are known for being very friendly and generous on their bounty of resources. So much so that Justice said that this is the only place where she felt like she found home.
"Buf-!"
"How was it?"
"Was it delicious, sir?!"
"Yes, yes… It's very delicious."
Although I have to admit that they can get pretty pushy with serving you as a guest. Just now, I had to eat a 5-piya (approximately 3.6 kilograms) loaves of bread with a 3 and a half lopi (approximately 500 ml) of blueberry jam just to appease their kindness.
"Perfect! Then can we kindly have you sample the rest of the new types of bread in our basket?"
"What…?"
"Oh! Oh! Why not try them with our new types of cheese, sir?"
"W-Wait! I'm already-"
"Would you also like warm milk with that, sir?"
"Now, now, children… Stop pushing your culinary creations to the Guardian Spirit. He's already full, you see."
"Ah! Spirit Justice!"
"Ufufu… You look like you had a hard time eating, my friend."
"Yeah, yeah… Can you help me out? I had a heavy lunch."
"Ahaha! Of course."
I and Justice's acquaintance goes far, far into the past… As far back as half a million sunsets before today's time. It would be safe to say that she is among the few beings whom I encountered and left an impression on my then unchanging self.
Our first encounter was during my purge in a town at the southern continent. One of the innumerable routine killings that I do to cull the population of Malignances in the places where I go to. In order to do this, I kill those who bear evil in their hearts and minds that attract these monsters of chaos or in the worst case, ends up being the core of these monsters that now have a physical form.
"It's rare for you to go this far from Love's Swistu domain. As far as I know, you avoid going east because you are reminded of your nomadic days back then."
"It does… It also reminds me of that time when we fought against each other after I decimated the city of Pelmarle…"
"Pelmarle, huh…? What is its name now?"
"Sodomarai."
"Sodomarai… Pelmarle… the southern city of mindless pleasures."
"…"
Pelmarle, or as it is called nowadays, Sodomarai, is a city-state whose population I culled greatly after I came across it back then. As for the reason why, it is because of the large number of malignances that I found in there that festers so much that even I feared that it may end up destroying this world.
"I can still remember why we fought back then… Both of us agreed that a city that does such a trade should be destroyed, lest its Malignances finally become strong enough to take physical form and directly harm this world."
"But what we didn't agree on is the fate of those who survived my culling."
"…"
"I can still remember how those innocent children trembled in fear after you stopped me from finishing the rest of the adults and the Malignances snapped from the shadows to take on a physical form using those lewd men and women."
"Law… We saved those children's lives."
"Did we actually do that?"
"…"
"It's true that I pushed you aside as soon as I sensed that those monsters are materializing into a physical form in order to kill them, which saved those children… but after seeing a strange being killing what could've been their mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles… do you think they can return to a normal life?"
"I…"
There was a sense of grief in the face of Justice after I reiterated the errors that she made during that time.
"I was supposed to bring those children away from the city and into safety the night before my attack, but since you can't wait anymore after seeing their unlawful acts of copulation, I had no chance to spare those children of the sight of seeing the adults around their lives dying one by one for reasons that they cannot understand."
"You are aware of what I am, Law. You know that as the Spirit of Justice, I cannot endure being around or even just knowing that such a deplorable trade of flesh is happening somewhere that I am aware of."
"…"
"You're the Spirit of Law, yourself. You're supposed to understand what I felt back then. The stench of their unwashed flesh… the chorus of their moans that come from such deplorable acts… even the lack of conscience in their rotten souls who should know that this thing that they are doing is wrong but decided to drown in it instead."
"I do, actually."
"I know that… You said that back then too."
Law and Justice. The aspect that makes us the two of us alongside the very principles that we stand for are as inseparable as the building blocks of reality. As such, she expected me to be as affected as her when both of us saw how filthy Pelmarle was when we came across it.
"Seeing that you referred to it as the southern city of mindless pleasures… is it safe to assume that you're still checking on it at times?"
"I do… Since I protect our eastern border from the Three Immoral Seers of the east, I have to constantly check on those places where they are most likely pooling Malignances in order to fulfill their threat to us when we drove them out of the northern continent."
"The Three Immoral Seers, huh? It's been a multitude of years since that time when Love and I decided to fully clear the northern continent of the remaining spots of evil in it… because we can't cause too much bloodshed lest it attract malignances that would make things harder for the humans, we killed the ringleaders of these settlements and banished their people out of the lands."
"And that caused three humans to emerge amongst them… three humans who vowed to come back and regain their way of life that is far too immoral to remain here."
"…How are they doing nowadays?"
"It's as you and Knowledge expected long ago… Their settlements continue to grow in the great plains and frozen tundra lands as their population grow rapidly due to their polygamous practices."
"I assume that they have also conducted countless wars amongst the native inhabitants of those lands?"
"Yeah. The desert nomads and tribes in the tundra stood no chance against their numbers… Men were killed in wars and skirmishes, women are… as you know, added as concubines to the harems of the high-ranking nobles while orphaned children became slaves in mining or farming places."
"…"
"It's very, very far from the way of life of those in our lands… It saddens me that we cannot extend our borders any further to spread the comfort and bounty of our lands."
After catching up on each other's recent experiences and looking back on the things that we used to do, I decided to finally ask her about that thing that bothered me earlier."
"Love may… attack you?"
"Yeah. I don't know what Knowledge meant by saying that. But I am bothered with the prospect of her attacking me one day out of the blue."
"Uh… huh…"
"Hey, hey… I don't like how similar your expressions are after I talked about this…"
"Well, what do you expect me to look like after you spoke up about that thing?"
After I told her that thing, she began to have this expression of exasperation on her face like what Knowledge showed earlier.
"Quit giving me riddles like what Knowledge did earlier… I need answers so I can fix this properly before that time does come."
"Oh yeah?"
"Listen here… As the Spirit of Law, promises and contracts are as close to me as my very own soul. Since the two of us promised under an oath that we would be co-rulers of this land and we will not harm each other, if Love suddenly attacks me, I have to do what I need to do to stop her… even if it meant killing her."
"…"
"And… I don't want to do that."
As a martial spirit who has lived for millions of sunsets, I have never become unacquainted to battle, blood and death as it is what my being pushes me to do in order to fulfill my principles…
However, whenever I think about crossing blades with these people that I have slowly gathered around me and became friends with, my chest tightens, and I feel angry against my own self…
And when it comes to the possibility of Love being my enemy in the future… I don't know what this thing in my heart is meant to be called… but it hurts me greatly and makes me wish that such a day will not come.
"Why don't you want to do that?"
"Because… it feels wrong."
"Even if she's the one who will initiate an attack?"
"Yes."
"Even if she wounds you greatly?"
"Yes…"
There was a short pause before she continued her trail of questions, probably a sense of hesitation before she asked something more personal to me.
"Even if she goes against your principles and breaks her promise with you?"
"That would…"
"Come on, just an honest answer between the two of us."
"…"
I wanted to straightly say that I am prepared to take her down if the do come a time when she would break her promise and make me her enemy. According to the terms of our promise, she can freely banish me from being a co-ruler because our oath was about having no aggression between us instead of an outright political promise, and I am willing to take my leave if she does wish to rule over these lands by herself… but after our conversation before I let her and her spirit brother to ascend into Celestial Spirits, I don't believe that she'll go back into being a direct ruler again instead of just watching over the northern continent and helping out at what the humans can't handle.
However, what would happen if she does wish to come after me? What would happen if out of the blue, she declares me as her enemy and will pursue my life?
"I will fight her."
"…"
"I will do what I must do to preserve my own life. After all, us spirits know what would happen if we, the personification of the principles that gave birth to us, dies out… And as the Spirit of Law, I don't believe that I have to narrate what would happen to the universe if I die."
"Of course… Both of us saw how a Celestial spirit died during the purge of Pelmarle and had his principle lost to us for all eternity."
"Courage… because of his death, the entire world has been griped in constant fear and hopelessness now. It was fortunate that I was able to seal his essence into the Inner Sanctum chamber of Caelestia where figments of his quality and principles can still abound, albeit weakly, around the world."
"Personally, I don't believe that his death is a true lost for him."
"Why do you say so, Justice?"
"Because his sacrifice saved someone very dear to him… and that someone has inarguably changed the world now for the better."
"Oh… her, huh?"
"Yes… her."
After our conversation went to that Spirit who was the reason why one of our old friends stormed a fortress of evil for, I thought about visiting her next to ask my questions.
"A blessed day to you, O Guardian Spirit…"
"To you as well."
"Good greetings, Great Spirit…"
"Good day too."
This county-state is named Itole. A city in the mountain range of the southern part of the continent renowned for its cheese, wine and beef.
"It is rare indeed for you to visit, Law…"
"I mostly don't have business here in Itole, so I don't get to visit much. But today is an exception."
"Oh? Is it indeed?"
"Yes."
"How so?"
"I… have a question that I wish to consult you about."
Except for its wonderful cuisine, Itole is also known as a center of trade in the continent run by the Tatron Dynasty of Counts, who are direct subordinates of a Spirit who inhabited these mountains long before it was populated by humans. A Spirit named Faith.
"So, you wish to ask me something?"
"Yeah… It's about the events that happened about 500 years ago at the desert plains in the south-east."
"500 years ago… you mean-"
"Yes… the corrosion that happened to you and the reason why your teacher and surrogate-father died for you."
"…"
"I wanted to ask this one first before I talk about my personal question."
I know that I shouldn't talk much about something this personal to her, but I wanted to get this straight from her first.
"Courage is… a great teacher and surrogate-father to me. He cared for me enough to travel the entire world to find the great cities of evil and destroy them in order to rid me of the corrosion that has plagued me throughout my entire life."
"Yioredron, Vaqla, Xalmibral, Elinabren… and Pelmarle."
"The five great fortresses of sin… Cities of evil that was destroyed 500 years ago."
"Destroyed by me, mostly."
"You're the Spirit of Law. It belongs to your responsibility to cull off such places that may end up harming the world and its people."
"Yeah… that's why I and Justice didn't understand why Courage went as far as sacrificing his life when the two of us are there too for the same goal."
"…"
"Now that he's gone, I kind of miss his bravado and speeches about why we should face our problems head on with full dedication and no doubts."
After I said those words, I saw that Faith had a sullen expression on her face which I knew came from the poignant memories of her late teacher and surrogate father.
"Courage… must've decided to die there and then for my own sake."
"What?"
"I've been thinking about it for a long time since I and Justice encountered each other again before your arrival here… She told me that Courage literally slugged blow after blow from the Manifested Malignances and several critical stab wounds before finally dying."
"…"
"I think he knew that it would worry me if he came back here in Itole with so much injuries after such a long time of being apart. That in order to free me from my affliction of a weak constitution and spiritual power, he had to travel around the world and fight again and again…"
"Do you hate that it had to be this way?"
"Of course, I do. No matter how much I hated him back then for leaving me so suddenly, he is my teacher who taught me all kinds of things and took care of me whenever the corruption hurts my spiritual form."
"I see… He's a good person indeed."
"And…"
"And?"
"He's the one who allowed me to connect with the people of Itole and be more open with other people… ever since his death, it has been quite lonely for me… just imagine how bad that could be more if I have no one else to turn to after his death."
"I understand that. And now that I know how you looked at his death, I feel a bit relieved."
"Why so?"
"Because I know that with your experience, you may understand what I am about to ask."
I told her the entire thing from start to finish alongside what Knowledge and Justice told me earlier about it.
"Huh… I see…"
"Hey… that's that look of exasperation again."
"So, those two also had this look on them earlier?"
"Yeah. I don't know how the three of you could be this consistent."
As I half-expected, she showed an expression filled with annoyance after my narration. As if she stumbled upon a very troublesome situation.
"You know what? I get why those two wanted you to figure it out for yourself, but I'll spare you from the riddles and to-do's that they handed to you."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. But telling it to you straight will defeat the entire purpose of learning this stuff, so I want you to figure out what your actions would be after my explanation."
"I can handle that by myself. So please, explain to me what this is all about and whether or not we will become enemies in the near future."
Faith took a deep breath before speaking up about her explanation of the things.
"I believe that Love wants you to stay by her side."
"Stay by her side?"
"Yes. Like physically and metaphorically."
"What… does that even mean?"
"Hmm… Are you familiar with these birds that are inside their cage, Law?"
She seemed to ponder something for a moment before looking at something beside her in the room which is a bird cage that has a pair of birds that must've been given to her as a gift.
"Love birds? Of course, I've seen them countless time before in my journey."
"Then do you know what would happen if one of these two became separated to the other?"
"Yes. I believe they slowly become weak and die later on. Hence the name, love birds."
"…I guess that's what it is."
"Huh?"
"That is the circumstance that is happening between you and Love right now… the two of you are like a pair of love birds."
I thought that she's sparing me from the riddles and whatnots that Knowledge and Justice was giving earlier, but now, she seems to be slowly going that way to me.
"Listen here, your words are starting to get all complicated to me. If you won't simplify this, this wouldn't be much of a conversation soon."
"Argh! Screw it!"
"E-Eh?"
"Geez! Love wants you to be her partner in life!"
"…Huh?"
"How hard is it for a numbskull like you to understand that?!"
Apparently, this could've been all solved if I thought about it in a less practical and more emotional angle. It was probably my nervousness that this might be an issue that would lead to a battle between me and her that made me think about this in a militant way.
However, now that I looked back at it, the words "she may end up jumping you" seemed like something that are used by humans to describe a person or animal who are sexually frustrated and… yeah.
"…"
"So… what brings you to my house?"
"Please let me hide out in here."
"What? Am I hearing things or you're seriously hiding from something?"
"I'm serious. Let me hide here for a few hundred sunsets… no, make that a few thousand sunsets."
"That long-?!"
After being told the truth and berated by Faith, I began to fear for my own safety. For the first time in my long, long life, I felt the fear that a prey has when it knows that it is being pursued by a predator. As puny as it may sound, that was how grave I felt after that revelation.
"S-Sensei… here's the food for him."
"Thank you. Tell my students that today's classes will be cancelled. I have to take care of this guy."
"Y-Yes, ma'am Cecilia."
"…"
"Hey, cheer up already and eat. It's been a few days already since you squirmed into my school's attic."
"Please just leave it there and close the door… I'll eat later."
"Geez! What on earth is strong and scary enough to drive even you to this state of anxiety?!"
"A woman is after me!"
"A woman?"
"Yeah! She'll surely pounce on me as soon as she catches a whiff of me! So please let me stay here until she forgets about it!"
"You- What the heck is happening here?"
This is Cecilia Aberanda-Chronia. A woman living at an island nation in the westernmost fringes of the northern continent. Unlike my many other friends, she is not a spirit but instead a human being, a mortal…
"Alright, let me get this straight… You think Love is seriously planning to do those things?"
"Yes… I do."
"I've been alive for 300 years and this is the first time I have heard about this."
However, there are other circumstances that separates her from the other humans in this world. As for the reason, only Love was told about it in private and even I was barred from knowing what she really is and how she ended up with such a long life.
"You're a woman. I think you also have experiences like-"
"Shut your mouth or I'll kick you out of my school attic."
"S-Sorry…"
"Haah… Why would you even think that I'm such a lowly and lewd woman who'd do such a ridiculous thing. I'm happily married with a respectable man… and we make sure to behave like proper human beings."
"I-I'm sorry already."
"Alright… what is all of this really about?"
I told her all about the things that happened recently and after analyzing it, she heaved a sigh and spoke to me about this issue.
"I don't believe that Love would go as far as that. Knowledge and Faith may simply be overexaggerating things."
"Y-You think they do?"
"Of course! Can you imagine Love barging into your room and tearing off your robes like a crazed animal in estrus?"
"…"
"Geez… I'm trying my best to imagine it and it's too much of a stretch."
"I-I do too…"
Ironically, it was a mortal who actually solved my problem instead of the Spirits who are supposed to be more knowledgeable and understanding about this. However, I think it wasn't that much unbelievable in retrospect since Cecilia is a human and unlike Spirits, can make compromises in their judgement in things to analyze thing in more than a single way.
"T-Thank you again for helping me out."
"Yeah, yeah… Go talk to Love about this and solve your issues with her. The more you hold this off, the more she'd be impatient, and she won't be too happy to know that you've been holding back yourself."
"Y-Yes…"
Instead of instantly teleporting to Caelestia and head into Swistu, I decided to travel normally alongside the caravan from Cecilia's city-state who are heading to the mainland to deliver the books that their printing stores made for their school branches. My reason is to give myself enough time to figure out how to talk about those things to Love, but there's also the part of owing Cecilia a favor for giving me shelter and food for a week.
Even though the Malignant Wolf has been slain months ago, there are still remnants of the devastation around the western seaside areas of the continent where ghost towns and abandoned villages.
However, the greatest concern is the thousands of dead people in those places who are buried in the still unthawed snow or unfinished mass graves where tens of them are piled over each other. These places of great despair attract Malignances who might end up collecting enough negative energy to materialize themselves and possess a dead body. As such, I am here as the bodyguard of the caravan against Malignances or bandits who encroached into the northern continent from our relatively undefended western border.
The possibility for such a thing to happen isn't much, but we're trying to be as cautious as possible in order to curb a possible spike of Malignance attacks in the future. After all, us Celestial Spirits have to slowly lower our involvement in the material world until we reach a point where we can fully leave everything to the hands of humanity in order to let them grow as a race.
"Excuse me, sir. May I ask where this caravan is heading to?"
"Oh! Umm… We are heading to three cities before stopping at Switsu domain."
"May I ride on your cart? I am willing to pay for a fare if you would like."
"Oh! No, no. You can go ahead and take a seat on the back. I don't think it's needed for you to pay me anything if I can spare you a seat."
"Thank you very much, good sir."
Before we left the city, a hooded young woman asked the driver of the cart about where we are headed and asked to join the trip, even offering the old man a bag of coins as a fare. Even though the driver declined the pay, she was allowed to take the seat across me which she immediately took.
"Good day, Great Spirit."
"Good day too, young woman."
"I apologize for my forwardness… but are you-"
"Yes. I am a Spirit. The Spirit of Law, to be exact."
"Huh… And you are riding alongside a caravan of humans? Why so?"
"Why not? It's not abnormal, isn't it?"
Is this young woman from outside our lands? Why does she sound puzzled about me joining a band of travelling merchants when it has been the case for many of us spirits since I and Love formed a concordant here?
"Is that so…?"
"Yeah. I was here to visit a friend and she asked me to protect her merchant caravan who will be crossing into the mainland, so I took it as a way to repay her kindness these past days."
"I see…"
Even though her face is hidden by a hood, I got to hear a lot of expressions from her tone alone and how she responds to my answers.
"How about you? What brings a stranger of the land like you here?"
"Pardon me?"
"Your tone and your understanding of the local common sense… I haven't heard about someone who hasn't known about Spirits walking alongside humans around these parts before."
"Oh."
"Additionally, you offered to pay the cart driver instead of asking him for a fare. Around these parts, it is the owner of the vehicle who names their price for their trouble, not the one who is asking for a lift."
"I guess I am exposed now, then."
"What…?"
The young woman lifted her hood and underneath is a face that… carries a plain expression. Not something like a lack of emotion or features on her face, just that it didn't carry any kind of meaning on it.
"It is true that I came from outside of the northern continent… but I can assure you that I do not come from any of the Six Sinful States."
"Is that really the case…?"
"Your caution is appreciated, Guardian Spirit. I can see why you are hailed as the defender of these lands."
I didn't expect her to notice that I have been preparing to draw my Divine Weapon from my subspace, but it seems like she knows my style in combat.
"But I ask you to fear not my presence… I am not here to cause any trouble at all."
"I've heard those words again and again before blood was spilled in front of me… Don't expect me to lower my guard around you."
"…I shall not object to your decision to be on guard then."
There was a short pause between us after I made it clear that I am prepared to fight her as soon as I sensed hostility from her. It only cleared up after she told me something.
"I am actually here to visit someone."
"And who is this someone, if I may ask?"
"My teacher and… I guess, she also acted as my mother once."
"A teacher and mother…?"
"Yes. Someone that once took care of me when I was but a hapless child."
"Sounds like a feminine version of Faith and Courage."
"The Spirits from Itole?"
"You've heard of them?"
"From stories told by my teacher, yes."
Huh… Is her teacher and mother a disciple of Faith from Itole? I guess she does have a reason to head into the continent.
"Although outwardly, we are quite the same case, I don't think that we have the same synergy as the two Spirits of Itole."
"Is that so?"
"Yes… The fact that Spirit Courage travelled the entire world to decimate city after city filled that produces the malice that causes his student and daughter so much pain, is a sacrifice so great that I don't think anyone can live up."
"…"
"And for Spirit Faith, who to this day, thanks her teacher and surrogate father for such a thing and looks at him with filial love and admiration… I don't think such great devotion exists anywhere else except for her case."
Truly spoken indeed… Those two are the best of the best when it comes to filial love for each other. A father who is willing to sacrifice himself for the comfort and longevity of his child… and a child who still looks up and thanks her father for such a sacrifice… I don't think anyone can indeed measure up to that.
"I'm sure we two can never reach that kind of relationship with each other… After all, I ran away from her when I grew up and became sick of her control."
"For what reason?"
A short pause hung between the two of us after I asked that question… looking back now, I should've noticed the glint on her eyes as she spoke the words that would soon destroy everything that I and my fellow spirits have built for the betterment of humanity and the world.
"For Freedom."
A few weeks passed by as we crossed the plains, forests and valleys of the western frontier of the mainland. As I expected, I needed to fight off a bunch of Malignances who detected our passage. None of them were strong enough to cause trouble to me, but it did delay our trip a bit which made us arrive to Swistu three days after the target day.
"Thank you very much for protecting us throughout the journey, Great Spirit."
"You're welcome… You should go to your inns now. We've been out in the wild for a long time, you should drink some mead and eat some sausages before laying your head on a soft pillow. Who knows when your Grandmaster would call for you to make another delivery around her schools?"
"You are right, Great Spirit. Well then, excuse us."
As the caravan left, I turned around to see the hooded young woman looking around the place as if she hasn't been here before.
"Do you need help in getting to your teacher's house?"
"Hehe… I don't believe that would be necessary."
"Oh. You know her address?"
"No. But her house is pretty obvious to me. I can handle it by my own."
"I see… I wish you good travels towards your teacher's home. May your reunion bring peace for the two of you."
"Yes… I wish that it would be the case."
After we split ways, I began to walk towards the palace given by the people of Switsu to Love. A palace hewn out from a mountain, making it resilient to every natural calamity, while also being structured as a place for military purposes during attacks from Malignances where our forces can assemble and arm ourselves as the humans are evacuated in its interior.
"Welcome back to Eashenbal Palace, Great Spirit Law."
"Thank you for your welcome…"
Although all of us Divine Spirits have agreed to slowly lower our involvement amongst humans year by year until we reach our deadline a millennium after I and Love's pacification of the Northern Continent, it can be said that the humans around us are pretty much still reverent towards us as they did back when they were nothing more but mud hut dwellers in the plains, wielding stone tools and wearing animal skins.
To an extent, we Spirits look more like a coalition and alliance of nobles that run the various territories of the Northern Continent. Although none of us has ever been replaced in our positions for the past hundreds of years.
"I'm… back."
"Law? Law!"
"Augh!"
"You dummy! Where on earth did you go for so long?!"
"U-Umm-! I-!"
"Heavens! I've been worried sick for you!"
As soon as I peered into her office and gave a light greeting, Love pulled me inside and began to scold me and tell me about how worried she was for my safety.
"So, you're saying that for the past week, you've stayed in Lady Cecilia's domain?"
"Y-Yes…"
"And instead of immediately teleporting back here, you repaid her kindness by guarding the caravan from her land which made you stay on the road for another two weeks?"
"T-That's right."
"Haah… Geez, geez!!! I was dying of anxiety about where on earth did you go!"
"I'm sorry. It's really just an urgent thing."
"You could've at least informed me or something!"
"…"
"What now? Why are you staying silent right there?!"
"I…"
"Answer up!"
I don't know what this feeling in my chest that is stopping me from speaking up about that thing… but I became silent for a while before gathering my courage to ask it out.
"Love… Do you…"
"Huh?"
"Do you want to have me beside you all the time?"
"…Eh?"
"It's the reason why I was gone for a month… I asked around and after thinking about it myself, I kind of had an epiphany about what Knowledge told me back then."
"W-W-Wait… I can explain-! I am-"
"So, I want to ask this to you directly, Love…"
"Ah-!"
As I asked that question, I took her hands and squeezed the lightly to make her understand my sincerity.
"Do you… want to be together forever?"
"-!!!"
As soon as I asked that, Love's face became flushed red, and her hands squeezed mine tightly as she looked down in embarrassment.
"Alright… let me say this first and foremost before I answer your question."
"Go ahead."
"I know that you already know this, but as Spirits, we live an almost infinitesimal length of life… Unlike humans, our relationships can go for so long that it might outlast even the shine of the hardiest of stars."
"I am aware of that, yes."
"And as someone who wrote the promises to be pledged by those who wish to be married legally, you should know that some parts of it such as "forming a fruitful family", "supporting each other through good and bad time" and many more might be to our disadvantage as immortal beings…"
"Yes. I know that too."
"Therefore…"
"Therefore?"
"Will you… take my hand in marriage even if it means putting up with me for all of eternity?"
Marriage… Ever since that time when we discovered that a certain village in our lands are conducting a horrendous tradition of adultery, Love and I has been ceaselessly working on an infallible way to remove such a thing amongst our people. To this, the use of marriage has been the most effective as all that marry pledges in my name and title which is one of the highest in our lands, and breaking that oath is tantamount to inviting me to take their life.
And now, she's asking me if I am willing to marry her even if it means staying by her side for all eternity. Something that causes her concern since either one of maybe even both of us might grow sick of each other's presence through the passage of time.
"I do."
"H-huh?"
"I am willing to do that… I will marry you and be by your side for eternity."
"L-Law…"
"Of all the beings in my long life, I have never met someone as dedicated as you are when it comes to the things that you deeply cherish. May it be humans, your fellow spirits and even this very world… you always give it your all for them."
"I… Umm…"
"I guess that's enough reason for me to not be worried about a future that I'll spend with you… I am not worried. If anything, I am happy in looking forward for that tomorrow."
I let go of her hands and from under her arms, took her for a hug which she received with a few sniffles of happiness.
"Alright… let's do this properly."
"Properly? What do you mean?"
"H-Hey! Just because I am a Spirit doesn't make me excluded from that usual thing!"
"Oh… Do we really have to do that?"
"Of course! I want it! I don't wanna be left out of that!"
"Alright, alright…"
While she is standing in front of me, I knelt down on one knee and asked her that question that is asked by the man to his lover at the right time.
"Love… Will you marry-"
"I apologize for interrupting your sweet moment…"
However, I was cut off by the person that I least expected to see again in here of all places.
"You… You're the young woman in the caravan."
"Yes. It is a small world indeed, isn't it, Spirit Law?"
"That…"
"Love? What's wrong?"
I didn't notice at first, but Love have begun to have this expression of disbelief on her face after seeing the unexpected guest.
"It's been a while, Spirit Love…"
"You…"
"Or should I say…"
This was the moment when everything that I didn't want to happen all began to happen right in front of me. And in the end, I wasn't there to stop even a single one of it come to pass.
"Teacher and mom…"