Volume 3 Chapter 68: Thank You

Within me reside multiple souls, none of them my own.

The weight of this revelation, delivered by Tesea, pressed against my chest as I placed a hand over it.

It was difficult to believe. I had no idea how I came to be in this state, no memories, no explanations.

Perhaps this was the sort of thing that should have filled me with dread. In fact, when I first heard it, fear did clutch at me.

But—that fear only lasted a fleeting moment. The unbelievable truth quietly sank into my heart, settling there as though it had always belonged.

Why was that? I felt no malice, no hostility from the beings within me. Instead, I felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity, like meeting long-lost friends. A quiet warmth spread through me.

Could it be—no, there was no doubt—

“…Have you been lending me your strength all this time?”

I’d always wondered why someone as untalented as me could wield so many Magis Gears. Even though I possessed seven Gears, including the White Road, I couldn’t wield them all at once. My mana reserves were far too average to match their power.

Finally, the pieces fit.

Of course, I couldn’t use them simultaneously. Each Gear’s power belonged to a different soul.

It was thanks to the presences within me that I’d been able to create so many Gears. These beings had been supporting me—a weak, pathetic, utterly hopeless man—all this time.

I didn’t know why. But for some reason, they saw me as a friend. And inexplicably, I felt the same. Though I had only just become aware of them, I already felt a deep connection.

The White Road, manifesting through the Manager’s influence, must have arisen from my own soul. No wonder it felt so natural. I had thoughts about that, but they would have to wait.

The Healer-san, Guardian-san, Magis-chan, Carriage, Hunter-chan, and Transformer.

Six people—a whole group.

Was it cramped in there? Were they comfortable? Could they fish? A life without fishing was far too bleak to imagine.

I didn’t know why they had chosen to dwell within me. Surely, I wasn’t an ideal host. But if they found even the slightest bit of comfort here, I’d be grateful.

In my heart, I addressed my mysterious cohabitants.

Healer-san, Guardian-san, Magis-chan, Carriage, Hunter-chan, Transformer.

I didn’t know their names, so I could only call them by their Gear titles. Even so, as I called each one, I felt a faint pulse from within. Magis-chan was particularly…dramatic, but I let it slide.

If there’s ever anything bothering you, please let me know.

I thought this and sensed a soft, reassuring response once again.

“………”

“Noil?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.”

When I snapped back to reality, Tesea was looking into my eyes with concern. I must have worried her by falling silent. Flustered, I shifted focus and gave her a smile, though her expression didn’t lighten. Oh, right—she couldn’t even see my face properly right now.

“Are you okay? …No, of course you’re not. How could you be after hearing something like that?”

“No…I’m fine. These people aren’t enemies.”

When I said that, Tesea’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You can talk to them?”

“Not exactly…but I can tell. They wouldn’t do anything to harm me. That much is certain.”

“I see. I can’t see them anymore, so I wouldn’t know…but you can, Noil.”

“I was shocked when I realized it just now, but thinking back, we’ve been together for a long time.”

“A long time…?”

“Eh? Yeah, they’ve been with me since I was a kid.”

The Healer-san manifested back when I was just a child. If they’ve been with me ever since, that means we’ve been together for a very long time.

Tesea deactivated her Analyze ability and placed a thoughtful hand under her chin.

“…I saw six souls…”

“Yeah, there are probably six people inside me,” I confirmed, nodding at her softly spoken observation.

Tesea closed her eyes, her expression growing even more pensive.

I didn’t fully understand the situation, so I decided to wait patiently until she spoke again. Eventually, she started, her voice slow and deliberate.

“…Sixteen years ago, there was a Sacred Artifact my sister and I helped smuggle out. Among those artifacts was something called the Sealed Soul Orb.”

“I see.”

“The Sealed Soul Orb is a Sacred Artifact that contains sealed souls. Apparently, this one already had souls trapped inside.”

“Okay.”

“…And the number of souls inside was… six.”

“…What?”

“And now, there are six souls inside you, Noil.”

“…Hmm.”

“And that Sealed Soul Orb? It’s still missing. Do you think that’s just a coincidence?”

“Uh…”

I groaned softly, my face twisting into a grimace as Tesea fixed me with her piercing, serious gaze. There was no doubt about it—the Sealed Soul Orb was connected to me. The real question was, when did I get involved with it?

The timing was likely sometime after I met Sierra. Back then… What had I been doing?

I racked my brain, trying to dredge up old memories, but all I could recall were happy fishing trips and the face of my adorable little sister. Honestly, my memories before entering the Magic Academy were largely just those two things.

“Do you remember anything about a glass-like orb?”

“A glass orb…?”

Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely recalled fishing up something like a glass orb once. Wasn’t the fishing line tangled around it or something? I remember being annoyed—finding trash while fishing always irritated me. Even someone as mild-mannered as me had smashed it in frustration right away—

“Ah…”

Could it be… that thing? I mean, it did look suspiciously shiny, like it wasn’t a natural object. That’s probably why it irritated me so much.

When was that again?

Right—on the day I first met Sierra. I had gone fishing with my father, and when we came home, Sierra was asleep on our doorstep. It was an old memory, but Sierra’s arrival was so striking that the rest of the day had stuck with me. Not that I’d given much thought to anything else from that day until now.

Still, all I’d done with the supposed Sealed Soul Orb was… smash it. That’s it. Nothing more.

“…Uh, yeah. I think I broke it. Probably.”

“What? Why would you do that? Isn’t it a rare treasure to people on the surface?”

“…Call it youthful indiscretion,” I replied, feigning a cool demeanor. There was no way I’d admit I’d smashed a Sacred Artifact on impulse without realizing what it was.

The reasons didn’t really matter now, though. The real issue was what had happened as a result of breaking the Sealed Soul Orb. Tesea began pondering again, her gaze distant.

“…So, the souls trapped in the Sealed Soul Orb ended up inside you, Noil…? And that’s why your category now reads as Sacred Artifact?”

“Wait, what? My what reads as what now?”

I couldn’t ignore what she had just muttered. When I pressed her for clarification, Tesea activated Analyze again, her gaze sharpening as she scrutinized me.

“Analyze can identify the type and race of what it’s observing… and just now, you didn’t register as a regular human. Instead, it displayed you as Sacred Artifact.”

“…What?”

“Maybe most of the time you’re considered human… like right now. But when those other souls strongly manifest, you’re classified as a Sacred Artifact instead.”

Apparently, without my knowledge, I had been on the verge of becoming something other than human.

Tesea continued muttering to herself, studying me closely as I sat dumbfounded.

“The souls inside the Sealed Soul Orb seem to have been there for a very long time. It’s possible that prolonged exposure to the orb’s power caused them to merge with it… Yes, that must be it. The residual power of the Sacred Artifact was carried into you along with those souls. So, when they manifest, you temporarily become a Sacred Artifact.”

“Uh… does that mean… this is bad?”

“…I don’t know.”

She doesn’t know. Great. Just great.

“I think you’ll probably be fine since you’ve managed up until now without any major issues… but it does explain why you triggered the Summoning Device.”

“The what now?”

“The place where you first appeared. It’s a device that draws in things related to the creator of the Floating City Pharmament from within a certain range. Around here, we call it the God’s Summoning Ground. Because you were so strongly influenced by the Sealed Soul Orb, the device mistakenly pulled you in.”

“Ah. I see.”

So, basically, I was dragged here by mistake because of some faulty device? I wasn’t even supposed to be here?

And the whole being naked part—was that because the device left behind anything “unrelated” and just transported my body? What a horrible story.

I mean, sure, meeting Tesea has turned out to be a good thing, but still—what a ridiculous way to start all this.

“I did wonder why you ended up here, Noil. Even when I used Analyze, I couldn’t figure it out at first… Still, you didn’t show any hostility, and Aizon treated you as a Living God, so I figured you’d be useful to have around. Plus, you seemed… pitiful. And, well… kind of funny.”

Ah, so even Tesea didn’t know why a random naked guy showed up out of nowhere. That explains why she hadn’t given me any answers until now. All she knew was that I wasn’t an enemy or a god, just a regular person, though my reason for appearing was a mystery. Out of pity and maybe a bit of curiosity, she decided to lend a hand.

“Now that I understand the situation, it’s not really funny anymore… Sorry,” she said, bowing her head apologetically.

She must feel responsible for dragging me into the conflicts of the Sacred Heavens, Lumelherc. And honestly, if I hadn’t smashed that Sealed Soul Orb, I might still be peacefully fishing somewhere. The Fourth Saintess, Tesea’s mother, had certainly thrown my life into chaos.

If not for her, I might never have met Sierra or gone to the Magic Academy. I wouldn’t have crossed paths with the people I’ve encountered so far.

It wouldn’t have been a bad life. A quiet, ordinary existence spent enjoying my favorite pastime—fishing. No drama, no upheaval. Just a simple, ideal life. Honestly, it sounds perfect.

…So why do I feel the urge to thank the Fourth Saintess?

That’s not like me at all. Someone like me, with my corrupt attribute, should be cursing her, yelling, “What the hell?!” and storming off.

Gratitude? For meeting all these troublesome people? That’s just wrong.

Think back to everything that’s happened. It’s been a mess, hasn’t it?

How many times have I been hurt? How many times have I suffered? How many times have I thought, “This is the worst”?

More times than I can count. Over and over again, I’ve felt frustrated and complained about my lot in life. Even now, I’m in a ridiculous situation. All of it because of the Fourth Saintess, someone I’ve never even met.

Yeah, there’s no reason to thank her. What was I thinking? Looking back, it’s obvious.

What an awful person—to twist my life like this. Even if it wasn’t intentional, it’s unforgivable.

Blaming the dead might be petty, but with my corrupt attribute, I’ll say it anyway. I need to say it, to express what I truly feel—

“――Thank you.”

“…Huh?”

But the words that escaped my lips were words of gratitude.

Tesea looked up at me in surprise as I gently placed a hand on her head.

“…Tell me, Tesea—what was your mother’s name? The Fourth Saintess?”

“Uh… Lilia. Her name was Lilia.”

Thank you.

For bringing me the world’s most adorable little sister.

Thank you.

For leading me to all these troublesome people.

Thank you.

For dragging me into all of this.

Your beloved daughter, Tesea, is someone I will absolutely save. That’s how I’ll repay you, Lilia—by protecting the precious life you’ve left behind, even if it’s a life filled with headaches and exhaustion.

“I see. Thank you, Tesea.”

“W-What?”

“I promise, I’ll get you out of here.”

Tesea looked confused, clearly unsure what to make of my sudden declaration. Still, she didn’t resist as I gently ruffled her hair, infusing my touch with my determination.

…But honestly, even as I made this heartfelt vow, I couldn’t help but think—this outfit still makes me look like a complete pervert, doesn’t it?