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nChapter 296: The Request of the Gods (1

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n“In other words…” Kufo

nAfter Meltrize-sama’s overly curt words, I asked the gods to explain some more, and it turns out there was a problematic monster at the Great Forest, right at the center of it, in the very ruins of Cormi Village, where I’m headed.

nApparently, the mana of the great forest caused it to grow rapidly not long after it was born, and it came to acquire power that the gods couldn’t ignore. Left alone, there was a high chance that that monster beast could affect the balance of the world, so they wanted me to do something about it.

nNormally, there were two solutions in such a scenario. One was to eliminate the creature by calling upon the divine beast that the gods had put in charge to manage and protect the land, and the other was to use their power and directly exterminate the monster.

nUnfortunately, the first option wouldn’t be possible because the monster was in a land without a divnie beast because Fernoberia-sama had been looking for a method to manage holy lands without relying on divine beasts.

nThe Shurus Great Forest was considered a holy land since it was one of the pillars of the world that filled it with mana. Fernoberia-sama’s experiment had been progressing smoothly, so even among the many scared lands, the Great Forest was one of the lands that produced the most. Using the second method would wipe out the land, and that would be a waste.

nThe power of the gods was apparently too strong, and no matter how much they weakened it, the resulting damage on the surroundings would still end up too great. That power referred to as Divine Punishment or the Judgment of the Gods once wiped out a nation in one hit and sank a continent.

nEvidently, it wasn’t a power that could be used lightly, and the gods too did not want to rely on it as much as possible, but regardless, the problem at hand needed to be dealt with.

n“And since I was headed to the Great Forest anyway, you figured you might as well get my help?” Ryouma

nWell, I’m going to the Great Forest anyway, and this is clearly not a matter that should be left alone, so it should be fine for me to accept the task. It’s not really any different from your usual adventurer work anyway, and as far as clients go, what could be more trustworthy than the gods themselves?

nBesides, I do owe them a lot. If they didn’t allow me to be reborn into this world, I couldn’t possibly have this happy life that I have now. Even if it was something they did only because it was to their benefit, I’m grateful all the same. If I can be of help to them even a little, then there’s no reason for me to balk at an opportunity to repay the kindness they’ve shown me.

nThat’s why I didn’t hesitate in the slightest to tell them that I agreed. The gods were elated, but at the same time, they seemed worried.

n“You guys have been worrying a lot for awhile now. Is there something even more problematic than the Fragment of the Demon King?” Ryouma

n“Well, we have our circumstances too, but… We can’t help but feel complicated about pushing our problems onto you, or more precisely, a human. Our opinion on this matter is a bit split.” Kufo

n“We couldn’t make a decision before hearing your take on it, so we decided to broach the topic when you came next. We were afraid, though, that if we asked it would come out more as an order rather than a request and you wouldn’t be able to refuse.” Rurutia

nI get that they have their circumstances and their individual perspectives, but really, I don’t mind…

n“To be honest, all I’m concerned about is whether it’s a monster I could defeat or not. I knew it would be dangerous the moment I decided to go to the Great Forest, so I actually think I’m blessed to be warned about the existence of such a monster beforehand; however, I can’t help but be concerned if I can even defeat it since it is something that even gods such as yourselves consider to be a problem.” Ryouma

n“…I’m against pushing the job onto you, but I do acknowledge that you would most likely win against it. Indeed, if we were to entrust this job to someone, then no one could be better for the job than you.” Rurutia

n“Exactly. Your compatibility with that monster beast in a fight is really good. We’re not asking you because you’re the only person we could turn to. We’re asking you because we believe that you are likely to win against it after comparing your abilities with that monster’s. If we were to request the assistance of your country’s army or knights, they could send thousands or even tens of thousands, and there’s an almost 100% chance that they would be wiped out.” Meltrize

nA monster beast against whom thousands and even tens of thousands of soldiers are useless? Just what kind of monster beast is that supposed to be? …I’ll need more information about its abilities.

n“The most problematic ability of the monster is its ability to bind souls. Souls that have been bound cannot return to the cycle of reincarnation, and a portion of those souls will become undead. It’s an ability akin to that of necromancy.” Meltrize

n“It’s less a technique and more an instinct, however… There’s more. That monster beast can draw from the abundant mana generated by the Great Forest and use it for himself. Of course, the portion it can absorb and use is only a small portion of the forest’s production capacity, but it’s still more than enough to provide an almost inexhaustible supply of mana.” Kufo

nI see, so in other words, the enemy is a necromancer with nearly infinite mana, so if it can bind a lot of souls, it can produce undead en masse. It’ll just remake the undead even if you kill them, so there’s no point. If the knight order and the army were to attack and some of them were to die, then that would only increase the number of enemies to fight… It’s kind of like a zombie flick, I guess. A normal army would probably find itself crushed, but I have my grave slimes.

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