#1185 Foolish Mankind

The Spirit King has been defeated!

He’s supposed to be the one who directly manages this world’s entire operation, and yet we overpowered him by brute force.
It really drives home just how wild things get around my farm.

“Trying to snuff out Master and the kids’ future is unbelievably rude and disrespectful!”

So says Veil, the victor in this brawl, punctuating the statement with a snort.
She’s scary, but if she’s on your side, there’s no one more dependable.

That’s Veil for you.

Meanwhile…

“Gwooooh…! Me… the Spirit King…?! The mightiest being who governs this world’s workings…?!”

The thoroughly beaten Spirit King is sprawled on the ground, sobbing pitifully. Even though the loser’s lament is to be expected, it’s downright heartbreaking to watch.

“Spiiwitttt King, cheer up, pweease.”
“Some days ya just stumbweee.”
“Some days ya bawely move your feeeeet.”
“Some days a thundewstorm is just what you neeeed.”

The earth spirits gather around to comfort the Spirit King, gently patting him on the back with their tiny hands.
It’s adorable, but also pretty sad.

“Humans… might you grant forgiveness… to the Spirit King?”

Oh?
Who’s that asking for mercy? Turns out it’s the fire spirit, the gentleman type.

“He never decided on wiping out humanity on a mere whim. He tried to endure, but it became too unbearable, and he couldn’t help but run off in anger.”

Easy for him to say—but he wasn’t the one about to get ‘wiped out’ now, was he?

“It’s all humankind’s fault.”

The water spirit jumps in to back up the fire spirit.

“Humans trampled all over our pride as spirits. The Spirit King is enraged because of that; he did it for us, his charges.”

They’re going all-out in his defense.

Well, it’s clear the spirits still back the Spirit King.
But what on earth got him so mad in the first place?
They’re basically saying it’s all humanity’s fault, but as a human myself, I can’t think of anything that’d set him off this bad.

What, did we wage some nuclear war or something?

“At this point, allow me to explain.”

Huh? You… you’re the bean spirit?!
No, no, don’t come out! Your very existence warps reality enough as it is!

“The reason the Spirit King and the other spirits are furious… has got to do with a certain type of magic.”

Magic?
Well, this is a fantasy other world, after all.
Magic and miracles are abound.

So, this magic is the root of everything?
Like some forbidden spell that breaks all the rules of the world, so the spirits, as the world’s caretakers, had to step in to settle the score?!
Sounds like your typical fantasy storyline!

Is it a resurrection spell?
Or maybe time-reversal magic?!

“It is…!”

The bean spirit lets the tension build…

“It is…!!!”

Just say it already.

“…Non-chant magic!”

…
Non-chant magic?
The heck’s that?

“It’s the technique of skipping or discarding the chanting process that normally accompanies magic,” says Sensei the Lifeless King.

He’s been quietly watching until now, munching on pickled veggies like he’s got all the time in the world.

“Magic...especially alchemy—the type of magic demons wield—relies on a pact with beings of higher existence. The sorcerer borrows power from supernatural entities dwelling in the spirit realm, paying a cost in their own mana, and triggers a spell or magic circle as part of the ritual. Put simply… that’s how it works.”

Ur, that’s kind of complicated.
Try to dumb it down for me, Sensei.

“In short, it’s magic that needs help from gods or spirits. There are also other systems, like thaumaturgy that draws on one’s internal mana, and dragon magic that surpasses them all, used by actual dragons.”

As far as humanity’s concerned, the big two are alchemy and thaumaturgy.
Combine both under the umbrella of ‘magic.’
At least, that’s how it’s defined in this world.

“Alchemy cannot happen without assistance from another spiritual being. And in most cases, that being is us spirits. Gods are higher than spirits, after all, so contracting directly with a god requires enormous mana and skill,” the bean spirit continues.

It’s almost irritating how calm he is.

“And for alchemy, chanting is crucial. Typically, you have a pre-spell chant that comes before the main trigger spell, which itself is often broken down into several verses. It takes time to recite. Non-chant magic is any alchemy that skips all that and fires off anyway!”
“I’ve heard rumors of non-chant magic myself. Apparently it’s super popular these days. I picked up the gossip while touring outside towns.”

Sensei...
So he’s still doing that strolling-around-towns thing.
At least he’s getting the inside scoop on worldly affairs.

“It existed in some form before, but it seems to be spreading even wider these days. Truly… kids these days…!”

When Sensei himself starts complaining about ‘kids these days,’ you know it’s bad.

“As I mentioned, alchemy draws on power from a spiritual entity like a god or a spirit. To do that, the caster has to form a contract with a spirit or a god, thus establishing a channel through which power can be borrowed.”
“And using that channel to actually activate the power involves incantations and chanting. The incantation triggers the spell itself. But then, what is the purpose of chanting?”

They’re tag-teaming this explanation.
This bean spirit’s intelligence is really rubbing me the wrong way for some reason.

“Simply put, chanting is a prayer addressed to the entity who’s providing the power. A way for the sorcerer to show they’re grateful for the help that makes their magic possible.”
“Since we spirits are providing the assistance, it’s only natural to acknowledge and thank us. After all, politeness exists to keep relationships running smoothly. That’s just as true between humans and spirits.”

Right, that makes sense.
Based on everything they’ve said, alchemy flat-out can’t happen without help from the spirits.
Obviously, a quick thank you is the least you can do.

So, if we consider all that, then take another look at non-chant magic…

“It basically throws all consideration for the other party out the window.”
“That’s what non-chant magic is!!!” shouts the bean spirit, furious.

As a fellow spirit, he’s outraged at how unfairly they’re being treated.

But what exactly is a bean spirit?

In alchemy, any ethereal being that bestows power is called either a spirit or a god.
Thus the earth, fire, and water spirits...even the Spirit King himself, all fall under that definition.
Now then, where does the Bean Spirit fit into this?

“We spirits exist to keep the world’s systems running smoothly. We’re not obligated to step into human conflicts! But we’ve done it all these years out of loyalty and friendship! And yet you don’t even bother to voice a single word of gratitude! How foolish can humans be?!”
“You tell ’em, bean spirit!”
 “That is exactly right!”

The fire spirit and water spirit wholeheartedly agree.

When a sorcerer borrows the spirits’ power, chanting is how they show respect and gratitude.

Skipping that is basically…

Example: With Chanting

--------------------------------

Greetings,

I trust this message finds you well, especially during this late autumn season. I have heard wonderful things about your recent endeavors, O Spirit.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am ____ from the ____ Nation, of the ____ race. I practice alchemy, and I humbly reach out to request your assistance in casting a spell.

I know you must be very busy, but I would be most grateful if you could lend your power. Thank you so much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

--------------------------------

Or something like that...

Example: Without Chanting

--------------------------------

Hey. Do it.

--------------------------------

When you compare those two approaches side by side, it really does come off as shockingly rude.
It’s hard to blame the Spirit King for flipping out.

“Grrr, unforgivable! Humans, I won’t forgive you!”

And just as we finally start to grasp the situation, the Spirit King is back on his feet, having taken a quick breather.

“You dare dishonor us spirits like this? We’ve lent you our power time and again, and this is how you repay us? Such ingratitude! An evil race like yours has no right to live! Therefore, I, the Spirit King… the Spirit King shall...!!!”

Now that I know the backstory, I can’t say I blame him for his rage.

This was all triggered by human selfishness…
Which means it’s up to us humans to make things right.

For the spirits, who have borne so much disrespect, it’s our duty to fix this mess!