Isekai Nonbiri Nouka-Novel

Chapter 155 – Shrine and Ghost Knight

A wide place with the white statue of the god of creation at the center.

Glowing stones are arranged at the side of the statue to illuminate it.

All those glowing stones are carved into flame-like shape so they appear like white flames.

「I never thought that a light stone can be carved…..」

「Amazing」

The mountain elves and ancestor-san are really surprised.

Light stone, it is exactly what it is called.

It is continuously glowing so it is used as light.

It is used as light but even a small pebble is expensive so it is not something that watchmen can carry around.

Only rich households use it to light their homes.

And ancestor-san carried them here from somewhere.

There are even dozens of them at the size of a small child.

A small stone is already expensive and he brought those here to decorate the god of creation’s statue….I better not ask how much they cost.

In any case, they were set up to the places where the mountain elves calculated to as light source….

How unrefined.

They are just a bunch of stones that glow.

I’ve devoted myself to decorate this place and I can’t stand to see something boorish.

Therefore, I carved those stones.

In the form of flames.

Goody, I praised my nice design.

Even though I carved one, the amount of light it gives off didn’t change.

After that, I carved everything else.

Now, those give off a more appropriate atmosphere.

I designed the patterns on the wall.

I thought of carving something like a landscape but it won’t be appropriate for this place.

And I can’t carve something asymmetrical too.

However, carving a regular pattern in this entire place is kind of hard.

With my crystal clear intention, I feel that my hands started moving skillfully.

In my head, I thought of a beautiful, warm design.

…….

I think I succeeded.

I hope ancestor-san won’t complain.

I pray that he won’t.

「Is it done?」

I asked a high elf.

「It is.」

There is now a doorway that connects to the spiral, screw hole I dug.

The wall of this place is also carved with my design.

The floor too.

In front of the god of creation’s statue, there is something like an altar that ancestor-san instructed to build.

It can be said that this place is generally complete.

「The underground work is complete.」

Yes, our work here is indeed done.

Next is the above ground.

The problem is the hole directly above the god of creation’s statue.

If it rains, the statue of the god of creation will surely be stained.

We are now discussing on how to close the hole.

There is also a talk about building a shrine on the ground as well.

It will also be a wooden shrine so it’s OK.

We get some more high elves from the village and build it at once.

We’ll use it to control the hole right above the statue of the god of creation and the hole that I dug.

I followed the instruction of the high elves and worked hard in logging and processing wood.

The wooden shrine on the ground was completed.

It looks like a wooden house.

This house is basically composed of two main areas.

The area in front is the living area.

There are tables and chairs and it gives off the feeling of a place where one can rest.

The area at the back leads to the hole I dug and the hole directly above the god of creation’s statue.

A fence was set up around the hole in order to prevent someone from falling.

It would be dangerous if one would fall in it.

There is also an open and close mechanism on the roof.

Because of that, the center beam of the house needs to be removed and so it needs to be reinforced in some places.

It was the mountain elves’ idea.

It can be closed when it is rainy and can be opened when the weather is nice….

Do you plan on having someone stay for that?

Right on this place?

I mean, though we built this place….

Won’t this be crushed by monsters and demon beasts?

That.

That problem was solved by ancestor-san.

With the help of a magic talisman.

Magic is convenient.

「Won’t it be better if you put gargoyles here?」

You put 10 of them in the tunnel.

I thought you’d put some of them here too…

「Though I love and respect the god of creation, a statue is a statue. On the other hand, the titans’ lives will be endangered if something happened on the tunnel.」

「I see.」

By the way, the earth warriors that helped me while I’m digging the hole leading underground are now guarding the god of creation’s statue underground.

TN: Ursa calls them soil subordinate when she was still a ghost king, the village chief calls them clay doll earlier and ancestor-san calls them earth warriors when they were exterminating centipedes.

「I really must thank you. I appreciate it.」

「You have been taking care of me so it’s nothing.」

Ancestor-san thanked me happily. That alone is enough.

Now, should we go home?

Hnn?

Why are you holding my shoulder?

「Isn’t there one more place?」

…..right.

Anyway, let’s all return to the village first.

Am I forgetting something?

Let’s have a roll call.

……no problem.

We went to the place where the second black rock lies.

There is also a hole above it so we can access it from the ground.

Ancestor-san knows the place so there won’t be a problem.

Ancestor-san and I will be the first one to survey the place.

The second black rock is also in the forest of death.

The location is far east.

Rasuti didn’t burn the place down so it took us some time to find it.

We finally found the hole.

It is similar to the hole from the previous shrine.

So, does that mean that there is a black rock directly under this hole too….?

Hnn?

I somewhat feel something’s not right.

I took the AFT out.

Ancestor-san is also obviously cautious.

……

I look for something that could be thrown in but can’t find one.

I wish I had a pebble with me.

Ancestor-san seems to be thinking the same thing. He created an earth warrior.

And when the earth warrior approached the hole…..

It was eaten.

In an instant.

And the one who jumped from the hole is none other than a centipede.

Those bugs crept out of the hole one after another.

「Re-retreat!」

I hugged ancestor-san and we escaped via teleportation magic.

「Floating?」

The place we teleported to has nothing to step on.

「We’re above.」

Ancestor-san is floating in the air like it was nothing.

As for me, I’m hugging ancestor-san’s waist.

One of the centipedes stretched out its head and found us.

It jumps at us while showing its intimidating fangs.

「Hah….that’s useless.」

Ancestor-san teleported again and we returned to the village.

I’m relieved seeing this familiar scenery.

Sweat is dripping from my wet hands.

Though I already encountered them in the titan’s dungeon, there is something strange about those centipedes.

The forest will be more dangerous with them around.

What should I do……

While I was thinking, ancestor-san moved.

He called Hakuren.

We moved again to the sky above the hole.

She then spews fire on the hole.

Dragons are amazing.

For some reason, I’m accompanying ancestor-san again while hugging his waist.

Ancestor-san can exterminate the centipedes by himself.

However, it is troublesome to deal with them one by one so we withdrew earlier.

I am currently plowing the burnt area of the forest which was a result of Hakuren’s breath.

I also put my palms together to pay respect to those monsters and demon beasts who were caught by the fire.

Ancestor-san, on the other hand, went inside the hole.

Hakuren is staying with me as my guard.

Ursa is also with her.

Wherever Hakuren goes, Ursa goes too.

Everyone’s very much used to it.

However, wouldn’t it be better to have her stay at home at times like this?

Also, Hakuren….

You shouldn’t spoil her too much.

「Virrage sheep, shamthings there.」

Hnn?

I looked at the direction where Ursa pointed at….it’s just the forest.

Ehto….

I don’t see anything but it seems like Hakuren saw something.

「That is something we can’t talk with.」

Hakuren stands in front of Ursa to cover her.

Though it is already late, I finally saw what she’s pointing at.

A human equipped with sword and armor.

However, I can tell from the vibe it gives off that it isn’t human.

Is it something that escaped Hakuren’s fire….? It is called a ghost knight.

Ancestor-san taught me what it is called later.

「After reaching the ground, it lost its way and was wandering around….. I was really angry before so I didn’t put much attention to the surrounding. I thought that it would be pointless to look for it but who would have thought that it will return to this place.,….」

We are currently deciphering the gesture of the ghost knight.

Hakuren and Ursa grew tired so they are now playing around instead.

This ghost knight didn’t show a glint of hostility.

It seems like it lost its link from its previous master and is now free.

Looking at it, it didn’t become a madman who kills everyone that it encounters.

I tried telling it to not walk around with a sword like that but I noticed that it doesn’t have a sheath.

Because of that, I made a sheath from a nearby tree and give it to it to try to talk to it.

「It wants me to become its master? I’m delighted to hear that but…. Isn’t it better if the master will be either of you? Isn’t Ursa….」

「It is impossible for the present her to become the ghost knight’s master. In addition, you are the village chief.」

Ancestor-san finally joins us again.

Anything living inside the hole no longer exists.

It is now safe and secure.

That’s great.

「So, what’s the matter with that?」

I introduced the ghost knight to him and it bowed politely.

「Since it was from this place, it is probably a subordinate of the ghost king.」

「Might be.」

「Then, what are you going to do with it?」

「What am I going to do?」

Take it back to the village…..impossible.

What to do?

What should I do?

What should it do?

…..ah, can’t think of anything.

I can’t deceive myself.

I have to think more about my image and the circumstances…..

「It is impossible for it to enter the circle of the living. Everyone will be disturbed….」

「Though it is a ghost, it is still a knight. Why don’t you just give it a mission?」

「Ooohhh, a great idea. Now, can I really give it a mission even though I’m not its master? Ah, let’s not worry about small details. You will be….」

I thought for a moment.

The ghost knight became the guardian of the hot spring.

At first, I thought of having it guard the shrine but it will surely be affected by the magic talisman so I dismissed that idea.

With that, the hot spring came into my mind.

The facility there is still safe because we went there several times while building the shrine.

The ghost knight seems to be full of motivation.

「Let me ask you something….will you be alright alone?」

Hearing my question, it strongly push its arm out.

Really?

Then, please be.

Let’s bring something that will help the ghost knight in our next visit.

「Since the reason we left is to check it out, shouldn’t we go back to that hole?」

I said that to ancestor-san, Hakuren, and Ursa.

I am on the men’s bath but I heard a reply “a bit more” from the women’s bath.

I know that you want to bath here because it is cold but we can’t just enter that bath without anything in our hands.

TN: He’s talking about bath equipments and clothes.

Eh?

Did you bring something from the village?

You should have told me sooner.

It is now too late to check the hole.