Chapter 54 - Compassion?

POV: Frieren

I went inside the house with Serie, and as soon as we were alone, she asked,

“What happened? I want you to tell me everything. Do you have any idea that I almost died?”

Ah, I thought she hadn’t even noticed that she would have died if I hadn’t taken control of my body. Of course she would notice. I let out a long sigh and said,

“I don’t really know exactly what’s going on either.”

I was being honest with her.

I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t know how the soul of a stranger ended up inside me, or how he can take control of my body so “easily.”

Well, at least it has only happened twice so far.

When “I” woke up, I had to take control of his body. And now he has taken control again.

“What do you mean you don’t know what’s going on? Don’t you know who Isaac is? You were murmuring his name before everything happened.”

“I know what’s happening, but at the same time, I don’t…”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I know there’s a man’s soul trapped inside me, and that he can take control of my body at any time. However, I don’t know exactly who he is or how this happened.”

I can see some of his memories. I have a vague idea of where he came from. It’s a very different and strange world.

But I don’t know him.

“This is…”

“When I woke up, it wasn’t me controlling my body. When I woke up, I was in a dark place… I had to take control from him, and fortunately, it was very easy.”

“So when you had just woken up, it wasn’t you? …But I thought it was.”

“Well… he said things I would say. I was watching everything. He accepted living as me very easily.”

I still remember it. I could hear his thoughts.

He managed to absorb my memories and came to the conclusion that it would be fun to live as me. He wanted to protect the elves just like I do.

However, after I took control and he became “trapped,” he changed a lot.

Now the only thing he wants is to go back home.

I can imagine what you’re feeling right now, I thought.

He probably heard that.

But I won’t give you control of my body.

“So I was talking to and hugging an unknown man?” Serie began to tremble.

“Don’t overthink it. He didn’t control my body for long. Not even for a full day.”

To be honest, I don’t know how long I was watching everything before I took control.

I don’t know exactly when it happened.

“Even so…”

“It’s fine now, Serie. I’ll find a way to get rid of him. He’s probably listening to our conversation right now. Hear that? I’ll find a way to send you back home.”

“You’re really going to help him? Why not try to destroy his soul? Can’t you do something like that?”

“Destroying someone’s soul is beyond my abilities. Maybe if I study a lot, I could do something like that…”

“Then…”

“But I don’t want to do that to him.”

At first, I even considered it, but then I remembered some of that man’s memories. He has a family who cares deeply about him. And he loves his family very much.

Even if they are humans, I can still feel sympathy for them.

“Queen… since when did you start feeling so much compassion for humans?”

“I don’t feel compassion for humans… only for this specific human.”

He didn’t want to be here… He wasn’t even supposed to be in this world.

#####

After my conversation with Serie, she stepped away to process everything we had discussed, and I went to my room. I stood in front of the mirror, still naked, and looked at my own body for a while.

Can you hear me?

I tried to contact Isaac, but he didn’t respond.

Can he answer me?

Is there a way to make contact? Could I do it while “cultivating” inside the World Tree?

I quickly got dressed and jumped out the window. I ran inside the tree, ignoring all the elves. I closed the door and climbed the stairs quickly. When I sat down, I felt very good.

It was as if I were being embraced by someone I love. It’s very comforting to stay in this place.

What an incredible feeling.

I closed my eyes and focused deeply.

I saw nothing but darkness.

Isaac? I tried to reach out to him while staring into the darkness.

I remained silent, then called his name again. Finally, he managed to respond. In the darkness, instead of my magic circle, a man appeared.

The man I had seen in my memories.

He was completely naked, but I couldn’t see his private parts.

He had a determined look.

“You… is what you said true?” he asked as he approached. Then he sat down cross-legged, just like me. We stared at each other for a while, and I finally spoke.

“I want to get rid of you, and you want to go home. If I help you, I think that might be possible.”

“Do you have any idea how you can help me?” Isaac asked, sounding full of expectations.

“To be honest, I don’t know how to do that. I’ve never seen magic that can send a person or a soul to another world. I don’t know how to do it. But if I research thoroughly, it might be possible.”

“I had an idea while I was controlling your body. I wanted to go into the dungeon. I think that at the bottom of the dungeon there might be something that can help me. Something like an artifact, hidden magic… maybe a portal?”

Seeing him speak so excitedly and with so much hope made me smile bitterly.

“I’ve never heard of anything like that, but it’s possible that something like that exists.”

I said that so as not to crush his hopes, but I don’t think anything inside the dungeon can help him.

After all, I was the only person who ever reached the bottom of the dungeon.

And down there, I found nothing.