The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet
Chapter 126: A Human

Chapter 126: A Human

“What are you..?” 

A question that nearly sounded rude if she knew about the crap I had to deal with my race because of Espr fucking with my Soul Page.

Name: Ceella Stella (Celestira Luxpoir) | Race: [Human?]

Human huh…

“That question means a lot of different things, and, like always, it depends on who is asking. In this case, the answer of 'I am human’ should suffice.”

“Hu-man?” Lu repeated back to me.

“Yes, the same race as the dead guy and the one rolling on the ground.” I shrugged, “We look different for many reasons, some traits unique to me, some because of the scars we have, and some because of our gender.”

Lu paused and looked at the idiot who was still lying on the wall, because he was dead, like an idiot. 

“Why did you kill him..?” She asked again.

“He wanted to kill me,” I answered calmly. 

Al-Roo said, “You said he wanted to kill the Nelatta.”

“That he did, doesn’t mean he also didn’t want to kill me.”

“But why… You are the same people…” She said again. 

It wasn’t hard to tell that Lu wasn’t quite understanding why.

Not that I can’t understand.

I wasn’t at all sorry that she felt this way, but I understood why she was confused. 

The meraimaka, while I had referred to it as a city, was more of a town in size. There were many Nelatta living within the safety of these walls, but even when in a circle that had the diameter of a basketball field, they didn’t even fill out the full perimeter.

Conflict could occur anywhere, but these Nelatta from what I had seen didn’t fight with each other. I didn’t know what the cause of this behaviour was. Was it how they taught their younger generation, how Cole-Ra-Cu led their people spiritually? Was it due to the fact that they lived in a world that wished them dead, to the point that other monsters were seeking to claim their lives every day? Or was it simply how these creatures were made that they instinctively didn’t physically fight with each other?

This question, unlike some of the others I had during my time in this world, wasn’t one I even really cared about. While it could be interesting, I didn't find it so; they could live however they liked. 

“Lu, my world is vastly different from yours,” I said, which caused her to look at me. “I told you about that monster, right? Well, that is not the only thing that is big. Humans, well, do you know what a million is?”

“A million..?” Lu shook her head.

“Well a ten times a hundred is a thousand. A thousand is not close to a million.” I started my explanation with numbers I knew she knew from our conversations. “A thousand times ten gets you a ten-thousand, times that by another ten gets you a hundred-thousand. Now, if you time that by then, you get a million.”

Lu shook her head repeatedly. “That’s… too many…”

“You mean not enough.”

“Huh..?”

“The human population is much larger than a million.” I didn’t feel the need to explain further. Explain the further numbers had no real point when she likely couldn’t even comprehend ten thousand.”

In the background, the man was still screaming. It was good to have constant updates to know his lungs hadn’t failed him.

Al-Roo looked at the man on the ground with a clear understanding of what was going on. “I am surprised you managed to replicate the ritual into a crystal form, though, there seems to be side effects.”

“Oh, you are able to tell what it is? Well, side effects, I am unsure about. They could be side effects due to the form it is in, or issues caused by the fact that he is human, or my ritual work being imperfect.”

“What are you talking about?!” Lu screamed. Her heart wasn’t doing well.

“I performed the adjustment ritual on him,” I answered.

She demanded, “Then why is he hurting?” 

“Because I made it. I am not an expert like Cole-Ra-Cu is. That was my best work, but even that is far from perfect.” I felt no need to hide that information.

“If you wanted to learn… why didn’t you use on self..?” She asked.

“Because I couldn’t, but once I am able to, I will.”

“I…” Lu fell to her knees.

I didn’t go to comfort her, but I wasn’t the only one around.

Al-Roo stepped forward and looked at Lu.

“Lu, simply think of the dead one as a sand walker.” Al-Roo tried to comfort Lu and knelt down to her level. “It was here to harm, not help.”

“But why… would anyone…” 

“Don’t question. Nelatta won’t hurt each other. That’s important.”

Nearly a touching scene.

(“ You are the ones who caused the distress ”)

Like, I am at fault.

(“ But you were lying about the Dominous Hood guard who was going to kill the Nelatta ”)

Just because he hadn’t didn’t mean I was lying. I am sure of that; that man was ready to kill them the moment he got the chance. 

(“ Whatever you say ”)

Whatever you say, back to you.

After a few moments and tears shed by Lu, the two lizards finally stood up, and to commemorate that, the guard had finally stopped screaming. Technically, he stopped screaming midway through the hug, though.

“Ceella… I don’t know what to think of you anymore.”

“That is fine,” I answered and was ready to leave the conversation over like that

I got my answers from the meraimaka.

I didn’t know how likely it was, but I figured there was a chance I could be kicked out of the place for this. While I didn’t harm a Nelatta. The fact that Lu was so distraught about this, and based on the general perception I had of the rest of the species, there was a high chance that many of them wouldn’t be happy with my decision. I was simply guessing, but I was prepared for the worst. 

“Ceella, what is your favourite thing?”

“Stars? Why?” 

“Do you love humans?”

“No, only my friends and family,” I answered again. I wasn’t spilling any secrets, so I didn’t feel a need to not answer, but I was left a little perplexed. 

“Do you like heights?”

“Yes.”

“Do you enjoy learning new things?”

“If it is something I am interested in.”

“Have you been in love?”

“Only as a child.”

“Do you regret anything?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you strong?”

“Because I had to be.”

“Why did you come here?”

“To test a theory.”

“That’s vague.”

“Because that is a little secret, not a big one, but it is not fun if I give you all the answers.” That she already knew the answer to that one. 

While there was a moment of pause, I said, “So it's my turn. Why did you ask me all those questions?”

Lu smiled with tears still in her eyes. “'Cause now, I know more about you.”

“Does that make you happy?” I asked. 

“Yes.”

“Why?”

She breathed in, “Because I want to know more, I want to see what a star is.”

I nearly laughed at her declaration. It was an admirable one, but one that was technically impossible unless this core integrated with my side of Existence, but that would mean me not destroying the core.

“Sure, I can’t promise you will see one day, but more impossible tasks have been completed throughout the history of my race. I am sure if it is possible, you might be able to find a path to it.”

Lu chuckled, “Not giving me a certainty, huh?”

“No, life is not that easy.”

I told them I would take the man away and asked him more questions and confirm if he meant any harm. They allowed me, and Lu recommended that I go to the cave systems. Since it was an excellent suggestion, I did just that.

“Hey, get up.” 

“Err….” The guard groaned.

“If you don’t, I will make you absorb another one of those crystals.”

My words were like a nail to his brain, and he jumped up from his trance.

“Argh! Please, no!” His arms flailed around.

Good, he is up.

“At least you are more expressive now,” I said. He looked exhausted but alive, maybe a little dehydrated, but hey, he was alive.  

“Where? How? Ergh…” The guard groaned as the brain began to work again. 

“I will give you a moment, but move to the cave system in the meraimaka again. Your screams were quite loud.”

“Were they?” He asked, looking very embarrassed by the very notion.

“Yes?” I answered. Not sure why at all the man would be embarrassed by his screams; there was nothing strange about them.

“Ergh…” He looked down at the ground, depressed, but his sudden expressiveness could be a  coping response from all that had happened to him

We were in the caves, and I had him lie on the orange stone wall as he slept, but I couldn’t allow him to sleep forever, so I poked him a few times.

I had also put my helmet back on, as I had no reason for it to be off.

“Do… I have to do anything else?” He was basically begging me not to request anything else for him to do.

I replied, “Yes, but nothing that’s going to hurt you.”

What I wanted to know now was simple.

“What was your Vocation and Soul Page?” 

“Pardon?” 

“What is your Vocation? Do I have to ask for it a third time?”

“No…” He answered. “Mine is an [Earth Mage]...”

“[Earth Mage], makes sense, good mana growth. I am assuming you use it mostly for the mana reservoirs.”

“Yes… that was the point of it.”

Well, I could ask him for his skill list, but that seems unnecessary.

I asked, “What is it now?”

“What is it now..?” His eyes widened in panic as I could picture him frantically opening up the Soul Page in his mind to review it.

Did he forget the reason I asked him to absorb the crystal?

(“ He has just woken up after a large amount of pain ”)

Excuses.

“It’s different… [Earth Vanguard].”

That at least sounds better.

“What’s different about it?” I asked.

“...Nothing?” He replied, so unsure in his answer that I just wanted to punch something.

Sigh… Maybe using this on the idiot may have been the better idea.