Leave a Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
“…That’s the story.”
“…”
I held Rico in my arms, using my arm as a pillow, and gently stroked her back as I spoke. Rico remained silent throughout. In fact, every time I stroked her back, she would tremble slightly. It must have tickled her.
“It was a long time ago, but I promised Rico that I would never keep a woman she didn’t approve of by my side. I have no intention of breaking that promise. I’ve upheld it until now, and I will continue to do so.”
My words held no deceit. Every woman Rico had approved of had become a part of our loving family.
Rico continued to bury her face in my chest as she had been doing. With my right hand, which was serving as a pillow, I gently stroked Rico’s hair. It had a slight wave to it, as if it had been permed, but it seemed well taken care of. Her hair was as smooth as silk, velvety to the touch. It had been many years since the day I first held Rico, but the beauty of her hair and skin had not diminished at all. Holding Rico in my arms was always a soothing experience.
“So, that girl Vielle has absolutely no connection, right?”
Rico spoke, lifting her face from my chest while mumbling.
“Yeah, of course. She just happened to not be here today, but you can check with Mat later.”
“I understand…”
With that, Rico sealed my lips with her own.
“Mmph… Rico…”
“Tonight… I won’t let you go.”
“Rico… Since Eiril was born, I’ve…”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve grown very fond of you…”
Rico slowly covered me.
“It’s Linos’s fault. Linos… made me into this kind of woman…”
“Rico…”
From then on, I spent a long, leisurely, and intensely passionate time with Rico.
The next day, I immediately transferred to the barrier village of the Crimeana faithful. Outside the village, thousands of faithful who had not yet fallen ill were pressing towards the barrier village. Outside, the forces of Agarta had already set up barricades, and soldiers repeatedly announced to the gathered faithful that those protected in this village were highly likely to be infected with the Luroans disease, urging them not to approach.
Listening to the commotion, I headed towards the headquarters. There, I found Layfence, Kunogen, and Matokal gathered.
“Lord Linos…”
Matokal, who noticed me quickly, spoke up.
“Mat, you’ve worked hard. It seems you arrived quite quickly, but did you ride your horse all night? You should rest slowly… Well, I’d like to say that, but it seems difficult right now, doesn’t it?”
Upon hearing my words, Layfence smirked. He was probably thinking something lewd in his head. I addressed the old general with a smile.
“General, how are the faithful we are protecting behaving?”
“They are quite subdued. Surprisingly so.”
“Perhaps they are anxious that the disease might recur. The spots have disappeared, but whether the disease has been completely cured is still unknown to anyone.”
I said that, and Kunogen chimed in.
“Well, that’s true. I suppose so. Can you hear the voices of prayer?”
“So far, I haven’t heard anything…”
Kunogen glanced briefly at the barrier where the faithful were gathered.
“Lord Linos, it might be quite difficult to make them renounce their faith, don’t you think?”
Layfence spoke up. I looked at him and nodded slowly.
“That’s right. For now, I’ve made them swear absolute obedience to me, but they won’t submit so easily. The main objective this time was to separate Vielle from Kassel, and I can say that our initial expectations have been met. That girl Vielle has a razor-sharp intellect. As long as she’s by Kassel’s side, we would have had trouble in the future. To sharpen that razor and bring her back to reality, this operation exceeded our expectations. Furthermore, even though there are only 500 followers of Crimeana, being able to make them swear allegiance, even if it’s a lie, is a stroke of luck. Now, if the priests on Crimeana’s side gets significantly shaken, we’ll have the upper hand… Well, let’s talk to them first and see their reactions. But before that, what we must prioritize is preventing this Luroans’s disease from spreading to others and finding the cause of this disease.”
The three of them nodded quietly at my words.
“When the followers finish their breakfast, please gather them all. Everyone, have you finished your breakfast? Not yet? Well, then, let’s have our meal as well.”
Saying that, we tasted the food from the cooking station. Afterward, all the followers of the barrier village were gathered outside the village. I cast a large barrier over the crowd. I noticed Vielle at the forefront, looking dazed and lost, as if her soul had left her. And a woman who appeared to be a bishop was comforting her. I gave a brief glance to the girls and then began to speak.
“Um… Ah… Well, can you hear me? Cough. I am Agarta’s king, Linos. Did you sleep well last night? Those who lost their lives yesterday, please raise your hands… No one? Good.” (T/N: Lol)
Saying that, I straightened up.
“Yesterday, I treated you all for Luroans’s disease. I can’t reveal the method right now, but most likely, you should be cured. Well, please confirm with our doctors later. What I want to say today is…”
I paused and looked over the followers. They all had anxious expressions.
“I don’t intend to force you to abandon the Crimeana faith.”
All the followers present expressed surprise. I continued speaking.
“You can believe in anything. Whether it’s Crimeana-sama, the Fox Deity, the Dragon God… or even the Demon King if you want.”
The followers began to look confused, and their eyes wandered.
“No, I believe that religion is necessary. Believing in something is important. But you know, very few people understand the true meaning of religion. I think you’re the same.”
I slowly looked at the followers. Vielle still seemed dazed and lost.
“Listen, believing in something is one way to maintain inner peace. When you face difficulties, believing that Crimeana-sama, the Fox Deity, or your ancestors are watching over you, it allows you to confront the situation calmly, thinking that everything will be alright because they are watching over you. In extreme cases, the thing humans fear the most is death. Being tormented by that fear makes you unable to do anything. Wasn’t that the case for all of you until yesterday? You were unable to do anything, bound by the fear of not knowing when you would die, right?”
The followers all lowered their gazes. I continued regardless.
“Human beings are like that, after all. That’s why it’s important to be able to confront death with a calm mind by believing in something. In other words, it’s good if you can trust yourself. If you can trust yourself, you won’t need religion anymore. That’s what I believe. So, I’m not telling you to abandon the Crimeana faith. Believing is your freedom. However, the Crimeana-sama you believe in only watches. It doesn’t do anything. So, if you believe, you should live in a way that doesn’t shame Crimeana-sama. Don’t cause trouble to others. Don’t do things that others dislike. Maybe this outbreak of the disease was a good opportunity? That’s what I think. Alright, I’ll finish my speech here. The rest is up to you to think about.”
Saying that, I left the scene with firm steps.
“Linos-sama, that was impressive. When did you acquire such knowledge?”
As Matokal followed behind me, she spoke up. I turned to her with a wry smile.
“Oh, well, it’s not my knowledge. It’s something my grandmother used to say.”
“Your grandmother?”
“A kind grandmother. She truly cared for me from the bottom of her heart. My grandmother used to tell me that story while holding me on her lap. It brings back memories…”
“Linos-sama’s… grandmother… If she was such a wonderful person, I would love to meet her someday.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words at Matokal’s remark. I muttered with a distant look in my eyes.
“She’s no longer with us.”
“Huh?”
“She’s no longer in this world. But she had a remarkable life, you know? She was born on December 25th and passed away on March 3rd at the age of a hundred. It was on a day when the weather was just right, not too hot or too cold, and it happened to be a day when we could hold a farewell ceremony. Thanks to that, all the family members she loved dearly gathered to watch over her and send her off to the afterlife. Truly, virtuous people have it different.”
As I shared this story, memories of my late grandmother flooded back, and tears welled up naturally. I discreetly wiped away my tears so Matokal wouldn’t notice.
“My grandmother used to take care of and help various people. She was well-liked by the neighbors too. It’s said that virtuous people are allowed to choose the way they pass away. My grandmother was exactly that kind of person. I believe that gods watch over us silently and allow virtuous people to choose their final moments.”
Matokal, wiping her own tears away quietly so I wouldn’t notice, gazed lovingly at Linos’s back as he spoke. She silently nodded, thinking that if a family had a person who could live to a hundred years, like Linos, it made sense that Linos’s abilities were extraordinary.
Leave a Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
“…That’s the story.”
“…”
I held Rico in my arms, using my arm as a pillow, and gently stroked her back as I spoke. Rico remained silent throughout. In fact, every time I stroked her back, she would tremble slightly. It must have tickled her.
“It was a long time ago, but I promised Rico that I would never keep a woman she didn’t approve of by my side. I have no intention of breaking that promise. I’ve upheld it until now, and I will continue to do so.”
My words held no deceit. Every woman Rico had approved of had become a part of our loving family.
Rico continued to bury her face in my chest as she had been doing. With my right hand, which was serving as a pillow, I gently stroked Rico’s hair. It had a slight wave to it, as if it had been permed, but it seemed well taken care of. Her hair was as smooth as silk, velvety to the touch. It had been many years since the day I first held Rico, but the beauty of her hair and skin had not diminished at all. Holding Rico in my arms was always a soothing experience.
“So, that girl Vielle has absolutely no connection, right?”
Rico spoke, lifting her face from my chest while mumbling.
“Yeah, of course. She just happened to not be here today, but you can check with Mat later.”
“I understand…”
With that, Rico sealed my lips with her own.
“Mmph… Rico…”
“Tonight… I won’t let you go.”
“Rico… Since Eiril was born, I’ve…”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve grown very fond of you…”
Rico slowly covered me.
“It’s Linos’s fault. Linos… made me into this kind of woman…”
“Rico…”
From then on, I spent a long, leisurely, and intensely passionate time with Rico.
The next day, I immediately transferred to the barrier village of the Crimeana faithful. Outside the village, thousands of faithful who had not yet fallen ill were pressing towards the barrier village. Outside, the forces of Agarta had already set up barricades, and soldiers repeatedly announced to the gathered faithful that those protected in this village were highly likely to be infected with the Luroans disease, urging them not to approach.
Listening to the commotion, I headed towards the headquarters. There, I found Layfence, Kunogen, and Matokal gathered.
“Lord Linos…”
Matokal, who noticed me quickly, spoke up.
“Mat, you’ve worked hard. It seems you arrived quite quickly, but did you ride your horse all night? You should rest slowly… Well, I’d like to say that, but it seems difficult right now, doesn’t it?”
Upon hearing my words, Layfence smirked. He was probably thinking something lewd in his head. I addressed the old general with a smile.
“General, how are the faithful we are protecting behaving?”
“They are quite subdued. Surprisingly so.”
“Perhaps they are anxious that the disease might recur. The spots have disappeared, but whether the disease has been completely cured is still unknown to anyone.”
I said that, and Kunogen chimed in.
“Well, that’s true. I suppose so. Can you hear the voices of prayer?”
“So far, I haven’t heard anything…”
Kunogen glanced briefly at the barrier where the faithful were gathered.
“Lord Linos, it might be quite difficult to make them renounce their faith, don’t you think?”
Layfence spoke up. I looked at him and nodded slowly.
“That’s right. For now, I’ve made them swear absolute obedience to me, but they won’t submit so easily. The main objective this time was to separate Vielle from Kassel, and I can say that our initial expectations have been met. That girl Vielle has a razor-sharp intellect. As long as she’s by Kassel’s side, we would have had trouble in the future. To sharpen that razor and bring her back to reality, this operation exceeded our expectations. Furthermore, even though there are only 500 followers of Crimeana, being able to make them swear allegiance, even if it’s a lie, is a stroke of luck. Now, if the priests on Crimeana’s side gets significantly shaken, we’ll have the upper hand… Well, let’s talk to them first and see their reactions. But before that, what we must prioritize is preventing this Luroans’s disease from spreading to others and finding the cause of this disease.”
The three of them nodded quietly at my words.
“When the followers finish their breakfast, please gather them all. Everyone, have you finished your breakfast? Not yet? Well, then, let’s have our meal as well.”
Saying that, we tasted the food from the cooking station. Afterward, all the followers of the barrier village were gathered outside the village. I cast a large barrier over the crowd. I noticed Vielle at the forefront, looking dazed and lost, as if her soul had left her. And a woman who appeared to be a bishop was comforting her. I gave a brief glance to the girls and then began to speak.
“Um… Ah… Well, can you hear me? Cough. I am Agarta’s king, Linos. Did you sleep well last night? Those who lost their lives yesterday, please raise your hands… No one? Good.” (T/N: Lol)
Saying that, I straightened up.
“Yesterday, I treated you all for Luroans’s disease. I can’t reveal the method right now, but most likely, you should be cured. Well, please confirm with our doctors later. What I want to say today is…”
I paused and looked over the followers. They all had anxious expressions.
“I don’t intend to force you to abandon the Crimeana faith.”
All the followers present expressed surprise. I continued speaking.
“You can believe in anything. Whether it’s Crimeana-sama, the Fox Deity, the Dragon God… or even the Demon King if you want.”
The followers began to look confused, and their eyes wandered.
“No, I believe that religion is necessary. Believing in something is important. But you know, very few people understand the true meaning of religion. I think you’re the same.”
I slowly looked at the followers. Vielle still seemed dazed and lost.
“Listen, believing in something is one way to maintain inner peace. When you face difficulties, believing that Crimeana-sama, the Fox Deity, or your ancestors are watching over you, it allows you to confront the situation calmly, thinking that everything will be alright because they are watching over you. In extreme cases, the thing humans fear the most is death. Being tormented by that fear makes you unable to do anything. Wasn’t that the case for all of you until yesterday? You were unable to do anything, bound by the fear of not knowing when you would die, right?”
The followers all lowered their gazes. I continued regardless.
“Human beings are like that, after all. That’s why it’s important to be able to confront death with a calm mind by believing in something. In other words, it’s good if you can trust yourself. If you can trust yourself, you won’t need religion anymore. That’s what I believe. So, I’m not telling you to abandon the Crimeana faith. Believing is your freedom. However, the Crimeana-sama you believe in only watches. It doesn’t do anything. So, if you believe, you should live in a way that doesn’t shame Crimeana-sama. Don’t cause trouble to others. Don’t do things that others dislike. Maybe this outbreak of the disease was a good opportunity? That’s what I think. Alright, I’ll finish my speech here. The rest is up to you to think about.”
Saying that, I left the scene with firm steps.
“Linos-sama, that was impressive. When did you acquire such knowledge?”
As Matokal followed behind me, she spoke up. I turned to her with a wry smile.
“Oh, well, it’s not my knowledge. It’s something my grandmother used to say.”
“Your grandmother?”
“A kind grandmother. She truly cared for me from the bottom of her heart. My grandmother used to tell me that story while holding me on her lap. It brings back memories…”
“Linos-sama’s… grandmother… If she was such a wonderful person, I would love to meet her someday.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words at Matokal’s remark. I muttered with a distant look in my eyes.
“She’s no longer with us.”
“Huh?”
“She’s no longer in this world. But she had a remarkable life, you know? She was born on December 25th and passed away on March 3rd at the age of a hundred. It was on a day when the weather was just right, not too hot or too cold, and it happened to be a day when we could hold a farewell ceremony. Thanks to that, all the family members she loved dearly gathered to watch over her and send her off to the afterlife. Truly, virtuous people have it different.”
As I shared this story, memories of my late grandmother flooded back, and tears welled up naturally. I discreetly wiped away my tears so Matokal wouldn’t notice.
“My grandmother used to take care of and help various people. She was well-liked by the neighbors too. It’s said that virtuous people are allowed to choose the way they pass away. My grandmother was exactly that kind of person. I believe that gods watch over us silently and allow virtuous people to choose their final moments.”
Matokal, wiping her own tears away quietly so I wouldn’t notice, gazed lovingly at Linos’s back as he spoke. She silently nodded, thinking that if a family had a person who could live to a hundred years, like Linos, it made sense that Linos’s abilities were extraordinary.
