Chapter 7:

Chapter 7: Inequitable Exchange

The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!


Reika got curious and agreed to her invitation.

"Sure."

"Sweet! We'll wait for them to finish tidying up the carcasses, then we're ready to move out!"

As they watched the workers, Sylva suddenly remembered that neither of them had eaten yet. Without a word, she walked off to get their portion.

Staring at the men working on the dragon’s corpse, Reika suddenly felt her stomach grumble.

Oh shoot, I haven’t eaten yet...!

She glanced around, planning to excuse herself from Sylva—only to realize she was no longer there.

Where did she go?

Reika looked through the crowd and spotted Sylva ahead, carrying two cups with spoons. As Sylva returned, she handed one of the cups to Reika.

"You didn’t have dinner yet, right? Here you go."

Reika took the cup with both hands. "T-Thanks."

In the distance, Soru saw Reika engaged in conversation with someone else. Not wanting to interrupt, he turned his attention back to the line of people waiting for their turn.

As he waited, a voice called out from behind him.

"Soru! You don’t need to line up. I already have a stew for you."

Soru turned around and saw Silas holding a bowl of stew.

Soru stepped out of the line and walked toward the old man. When he arrived, Silas handed him the wooden bowl.

"Fill your belly with this hot stew and find a spot to eat," Silas told him. "I’ll take care of the others who haven’t had dinner yet, so I won’t be able to join you for a while."

Soru gave a small nod. Silas smiled warmly, then walked off toward the village men working with the dragon’s corpse.

Soru glanced down at the bowl and watched the steam rise from it, followed by the faint fragrance it gave off. It was filled with vegetables—potatoes and carrots—and a piece of meat. He couldn’t quite tell what kind of meat it was, so he decided to try it.

The moment he tasted it, he recognized it as lamb based on its flavor and texture. After that, he scanned the area for a quiet spot to eat.

His eyes landed on a figure sitting by a healthy tree. It was the same guard from the entrance gate, the one who had tried to end his life with a hatchet earlier.

The guard saw Soru approaching but didn’t bother to offer a greeting, merely continuing to sulk in silence.

Soru sat quietly beside him and ate his stew. Just then, the guard suddenly let out a deep sigh.

Out of the corner of his eye, Soru noticed the man’s gaze drifting up the night sky. A single tear trailed down his cheek.

Soru looked up and saw the beauty of the night. The stars sparkled brightly, stretching across the clear sky with no clouds to disrupt the peaceful view. It was mesmerizing—a serene sight that felt almost surreal.

There are two moons hovering in the sky—the larger one positioned higher, the smaller beneath it—forming an extremely rare binary moon system. It added an otherworldly touch to the tranquil scene.

Despite the peacefulness that surrounded him, Soru felt nothing. He ate his stew in silence, committing the view to memory while the guard sat quietly beside him.

On the other side of the village, Reika was there eating beside Sylva. She noticed Sylva had already emptied her bowl, yet Sylva waited patiently for her to finish.

“After you’re done, we’ll head out to guide the village men to the forest,” Sylva said with a smile.

Reika nodded and kept eating at her own pace.

“You don’t need to rush,” Sylva added. “Those men are still eating too.”

Reika slowed down and took her time. A few minutes later, she finished the last of her stew.

“Give that to me; I’ll return it along with my cup,” Sylva offered.

Reika handed her the cup and spoon. Sylva took them and walked off to the washers.

The village men who had helped with the dragon’s carcass finished their dinner moments later. They then began preparing for the journey to the forest. Once ready, they gathered near the wagons loaded with the dragon’s remains.

Reika saw Sylva walking toward the wagons. Sylva turned back and called to her. “Come, we’ve got to go!”

Reika followed Sylva and joined the men pulling the wagons as they made their way toward the forest. They trailed across the wheat fields with ease.

With Sylva guiding the group, Reika kept a quiet pace behind her. As she looked around the area, she noticed the bright moonlight casting shadows on the ground.

Is it a full moon tonight?

She glanced up at the sky and saw the two moons hanging above—one larger than the other—surrounded by a blanket of stars. The peaceful beauty of it all settled over her, a sense of tranquility filling her as she gazed at the serene night.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Reika looked to her side and saw Sylva beside her, also gazing at the sky.

"According to the legend, only a single moon existed many eras ago," Sylva said. "It mesmerized everyone, drawing the gaze of all who saw it. With its massive size, it bathed the entire continent in light and pierced through the darkness of night."

"At that time, a powerful entity grew envious of the moon. It resented how the moon commanded attention while its own existence remained unnoticed. Consumed by jealousy, the entity chose to destroy the moon, hoping to divert the people's focus and finally gain the recognition it craved."

Sylva's voice turned more serious. "On one peaceful evening, the moon rose as usual, casting its gentle light over the land. The people admired its beauty, unaware of the entity’s malicious plan. With all its power, the entity launched a mighty attack, aiming to shatter the moon into pieces."

Reika listened in silence as they walked along the path to the forest, intrigued by Sylva’s story.

"Luckily," Sylva continued, "the moon wasn’t completely destroyed. The attack only chipped away a third of it, and that chunk became a second moon, lingering in the sky beside the first. The entity’s plan failed, and in shame, it fled from the continent, never to return."

Reika raised an eyebrow. The story sounded far-fetched to her.

"That doesn't make sense at all..." she muttered.

"You see, there are no signs of a dent around the moons, and their shape is perfectly round, which indicates they formed billions of years ago—"

Reika quickly stopped herself when she realized she might have said too much. She glanced at Sylva, who looked puzzled by what she had just blurted out.

Oh. They don’t know how the moon formed at all...

Before she could say anything, Sylva giggled.

"Fufufu~ You had the same reaction as Fumeirō!"

Sylva’s eyes lit up as she looked up at the moons once more.

"Whether the legend makes sense or not, the fact that we can see their beauty is a gift from the heavens. Whenever we look at them, all our worries seem to fade away in an instant..."

Reika stayed silent after hearing her words. She glanced back at the night sky and sighed as a sense of calm washed over her.

"Sigh... You’re right," Reika murmured.

After half an hour of walking, they finally reached the edge of the forest. The village entrance appeared in the distance—barely visible, faintly glowing from the torches on either side. Sylva looked around the area, then signaled to the first man on the wagon.

"@#&#-#*!"

"@&#$."

At Sylva's command, the village men began unloading the chopped dragon carcasses onto the ground. Reika simply watched as they carefully scattered the pieces throughout the forest.

After several minutes, they finished the task and prepared to head back to the village. Sylva gave the order to return.

"@\&#@#!"

As the men started pulling their wagons back, Sylva turned and noticed Reika still watching in silence.

"You’ve been staring at us this whole time! I’m sure you’re bored now..."

She picked up the torch one of the men had stuck into the ground. "Let’s head back to the village."

Reika nodded and followed Sylva. But the moment she took a step, she instantly froze.

She heard another voice calling her from behind—the same voice that had reached out to her back in the village.

Come here...

She turned around and quickly scanned the area for the source of the mysterious voice. All she saw were trees and the scattered remains of the dragon’s corpse. There's no one else beyond the shadows.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Are you okay...?"

Reika jolted, startled by the sudden touch. She jerked her head around and saw Sylva.

Oh. It was Sylva...

"You seem off. Is everything alright?"

Reika glanced around again, her thoughts scattered. Sylva watched her with concern.

"D-Did you hear someone calling us? That voice..."

Sylva looked around. All she heard were the sounds of crickets and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

"What are you talking about? All I can hear are crickets and swaying leaves..."

"It's—"

Reika suddenly sighed. "Well, never mind. You go ahead; I'll stay here a little longer."

Sylva frowned and stepped in front of her.

"No can do! There might be monsters lurking around here!"

Reika smiled reassuringly.

"Don’t worry. I won’t be long. Just a quick look around!"

Sylva sighed and scratched her head. "Just follow us afterward, alright? And be careful. The monsters might be drawn to the dragon’s corpse, and they could attack you too."

She handed Reika the torch she had been holding earlier.

"Here. You can use it to see in the dark and to ward off any monsters, just in case they come after you."

Reika took the torch and gripped it firmly.

"Thank you..."

Sylva walked away and left her alone. Her concern remained evident as she approached the village men waiting nearby. She glanced back at Reika to see if she was alright before she continued her discussion with them.

Reika paid them no mind and looked around for anything unusual, but she saw nothing.

"That’s strange... I’m sure I heard it clearly this time..."

Suddenly, the voice called out again. This time, it was closer than before.

"Come a little closer..."

Reika froze. She turned her head slowly and finally saw it—a faint, pulsating glow coming from the dragon’s chest.

She hesitated for a moment before stepping closer to the source.

Is that...?

Out of a sudden, a strong gust of wind rushed through the area, snuffing out the flame of her torch. The darkness deepened around her, leaving only the strange, faint glow as her guide.

Even without the light, Reika continued forward. As she moved closer, the voice echoed again, as if speaking directly to her.

"You... Do you want to acquire immense power?"

Startled, Reika slipped the torch from her hand. She then looked around cautiously.

I-Is that strange glow on the dragon’s body... the one that’s been calling me?

She stood before the pulsating glow, her eyes fixed on its steady rhythm. The faint light flickered softly.

"What do you want from me?"

A soft, eerie chuckle filled the air.

"Fufufufu..."

The glow pulsed stronger. "Hm. I can offer you something humans crave above all else: power."

Reika stayed silent and let the strange pulse continue.

"You humans are weak and fragile. To overcome that frailty, you seek something greater—a power that can reshape the world and fulfill your deepest desires. Is that not what you long for?"

She stood still and didn't say a word on impulse.

This feels suspicious… Who would offer something like this for nothing in return? Only a fool would believe that!

Yet she knew the truth. The offer was sharp—hard to ignore.

I don’t crave power for myself, but there were times… times I stood by, powerless, unable to do anything. Watching others suffer, watching them…

She clenched her fist. Soru… He has the strength to protect others. He saved me so many times, but I can’t rely on him forever. I have to be able to do something too.

As Reika lingered in her indecision, the faint light in the dragon’s chest pulsed weaker.

She’s hesitating too long...

Suddenly, the glow flared up. It grew impatient and decided to take matters into its own hands.

In an instant, the mysterious light shot into Reika’s body. She noticed it—but too late for her to react.

"Guhh?!"

A sharp pain surged through her chest, and she collapsed to the ground, gripping it in agony.

"W-What did you do to me!?"

"Ha! Hesitation won’t get you anywhere, human. Seizing your body by force is the best choice."

Reika felt helpless. She had fallen right into its deliberate trap.

"Is this w-what you truly want...?" she gasped through the intense pain. "In exchange for giving me power, you want to s-seize my body?"

The mysterious voice laughed cruelly. "HAHAHA! Isn't that obvious? The exchange was inequitable to begin with!"

Reika groaned as the pain intensified, growing stronger with each passing second.

"Now... this may hurt a little, but it will be over soon once I wipe out your mind and take control of your body. Sleep well, mortal..."

She couldn’t endure it any longer. Gasping for air, Reika screamed at the top of her lungs.

"AAARRGGGHHHHHHH!"

Sylva quickly heard the scream and looked back. The area where Reika had stood was now completely dark. She was gone.

"Oh no... What happened to her?" Sylva panicked.

Without a second thought, she moved to head toward Reika’s last location. But before she could take a step, a firm hand grabbed her and pulled her back. She turned and saw one of the village men who had accompanied her.

"It’s too dangerous to go there," the man said, his tone filled with concern. "You should tell this to the old man Silas first. We’ll handle the situation here."

Sylva hesitated deeply, torn between her worry for Reika and the man’s warning. But she knew he was right. Left with no choice, she nodded and ran toward the village as fast as she could.

After a while, she finally reached the village. She quickly looked around and spotted Silas speaking with a woman near a tree.

"Mister Silas...!" she called out urgently.

The old man looked up at the sound of his name, recognizing Sylva’s voice. He turned his attention toward her as she came to a stop in front of him, still panting from her sprint.

"What happened?" Silas asked.

"Hahh... R-Reika... the guest... she seems to be in trouble!"

Mugen
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