Chapter 310: Multiple Reincarnators and Weaver
Coil Laertius, the three-year-old son of Lyle-sensei, was a curious blend of innocence and wisdom. Born with the blood of the hero Takeru and blessed with the delicate features of his (supposed) mother, he possessed brown hair and eyes that sparkled with intelligence as he listened to his parents’ conversation.
「So, what’s the latest on the rift investigation?」
「According to Archbishop Nicholas, the ruins containing the sealed monster are emitting a red glow. Beyond that, no further abnormalities have been observed.」
The man known as Archbishop Nicholas, who had established a settlement on the new continent, continued his supervision of an ancient ruin where a spatial rift had been discovered. This tear in the fabric of space—possibly linking to another world—had been known for over two years now.
While pretending to play with toys alongside his younger siblings, Coil listened in on their conversation, muttering to himself.
「A red glow…」
This was a dangerous omen.
Coil, often speculated to be a reincarnated genius, was indeed a reincarnator. Not just once, but twice, he had lived and died—first as a prodigious inventor, then as an extraordinary mage.
Though he wished to keep his talents hidden and lead a quiet life, he had made that mistake in his previous incarnations.
In his prior world, creatures from another dimension had decimated everything. Believing he had time to prepare, he had foolishly kept his abilities hidden, only to find himself powerless when disaster struck. Now, observing his parents’ casual discussion of the rift while speculating on ways to return to their respective worlds, he couldn’t help but think how complacent they were.
Despite his extraordinary circumstances, Coil did not see himself as unique.
After all, his father, Sawatari Takeru, was a transmigrator.
This world, created by the divine goddess Asama, seemed inherently unstable in its temporal and spatial fabric.
Moreover, the newly named Abyss Continent lay beyond the reach of the goddess’s holy influence, making it a peculiar and isolated land.
From what he’d pieced together, Coil theorized that this universe was brimming with parallel worlds, overlapping in complex layers.
Some of those worlds harbored beings of immense danger.
But even understanding the risks, he was painfully aware of his current limitations.
Looking down at his small, childlike hands, Coil sighed.
「I wish I had more time to grow into this body. But time is running out…」
Training from infancy had given him remarkable magical aptitude, and his siblings, born with Takeru’s bloodline, shared this potential. Through rigorous practice, they had begun unlocking the depths of their latent mana reserves.
Coil reached into his pocket and retrieved a shimmering glass marble.
This was no ordinary marble but a magic-infused gem brimming with the mana he and his gifted siblings had painstakingly gathered.
The new continent was said to lack Asama’s divine blessings. He assumed its mana supply—much like its capacity for holy magic—was weak, and so he had prepared accordingly.
「Illusion Copy!」
With a soft chant, he animated a lifelike doll he had prepared for this moment.
The doll had its limits, lasting only forty-eight hours at most. He would need to return to the royal castle before its magic ran out to avoid raising suspicion.
「Ah, the joys of royalty.」
Even for a prince, freedom came with its own constraints.
With a resigned air, Coil adjusted his glasses and prepared for his next move.
「Spectacles, arise.」
Coil scooped up a clump of earth and deftly alchemized it into his signature round glasses.
Though his vision was fine, he felt incomplete without them—a lingering attachment from his previous life.
Now equipped, Coil shifted into battle mode. His small body hovered in the air, emanating a faint magical glow. Facing the direction of the New Continent, he launched himself forward, flames roaring from his feet.
「Jet Flyer Ignition! This time, I will protect this world!」
He would never allow the world to fall to ruin again.
More than that, he firmly believed that those with power had a duty to shield the weak.
With the resolute spirit of a natural-born noble, Coil soared toward the temporal rift discovered on the Abyss Continent at supersonic speed.
※※※
Arriving at the western coast of the Abyss Continent, in the city of San Nicholas, Coil landed lightly on the cobblestone streets.
「I heard Archbishop Nicholas has information about the rift.」
Knowing that his two-year-old appearance might cause a stir, Coil disguised himself with transformation magic before mingling with the townsfolk.
Archbishop Nicholas, hailed as a saint in the Abyss Continent, was a well-known figure, making it easy to arrange a meeting.
However, what greeted him upon arrival left Coil utterly speechless.
The archbishop himself was also in the form of a child.
Before Coil could process the absurdity, Nicholas hit him with an unsettlingly accurate observation.
「You’re hiding your true appearance, aren’t you?」
「Wha—?!」
Archbishop Nicholas was proving to be an even more extraordinary individual than Coil.
A child claiming the title of archbishop made little sense, yet the possibility that Nicholas, like himself, was a reincarnator seemed likely.
Given such a counterpart, it wasn’t surprising that Nicholas saw through Coil’s transformation magic.
Acknowledging the futility of further deception, Coil canceled the spell, returning to his true form.
However, Nicholas, despite his angelic childlike appearance, wore an unsettling grin.
「And you, despite your charming appearance, are far more of an adult than you seem.」
「What?!」
Did this strange figure see through not just his disguise, but the essence of his soul?
「Even with your delicate, beautiful form, my heart feels nothing. Clearly, you’re no shota!」
「…」
What is wrong with this guy?!
Coil didn’t understand the term “shota” and could only gape in silence as Nicholas struck a theatrical pose, pointing dramatically at him with both hands.
「But! As a devout apostle of Asama, I can see the purity of your heart despite your little boy appearances!」
Coil nearly shouted in exasperation. “Is this Little Boy nonsense supposed to be about me?!”
「Just tell me—am I a ‘boy’ to you or not?!」
「To me, all men are boys. I simply hope you grow pure and uncorrupted, unlike your father, Takeru. I’d love for you to become my hero someday.」
「How much did you f…?」
Reeling from Nicholas’s unnervingly precise remarks, Coil began to sense potential danger.
「Now then, what brings you all the way here? If it’s to deepen our little-boy connection, I’m quite pleased.」
Nicholas’s overly familiar manner escalated into uncomfortable gestures, his hands brushing against Coil as if inspecting him.
Is this some kind of mental magic?!
Nicholas’s overly affectionate antics sent chills up Coil’s spine. His instincts screamed at him to stay on guard, but for now, he could only endure.
「That’s not it. The reason I’m here is because of the rift in space-time. There’s a chance monsters that could endanger this world might emerge from it.」
「Oh? So simply sealing it with stone isn’t enough?」
「Narrowing the space where they can appear isn’t a bad idea, but it’s not something that can be handled that easily.」
「If it’s a threat to the world, as Archbishop, I cannot stand idly by. Allow me to escort you to the ruins where this rift is located!」
Nicholas quickly put on a serious expression and motioned for Coil to follow.
He didn’t seem like a bad person.
「I’ll use flight magic to get us there. Just point out the location.」
「Then we’ll entwine our bodies tightly and fly together. Let’s merge as one!」
「Why would we do that?! Just stay as you are! I can carry two people with my magic.」
「Tch… is that so.」
He wasn’t a bad person, but Coil had the distinct feeling he didn’t want to spend too much time with him.
Thus, guided by Nicholas, Coil set off for the ancient ruins where the rift in space-time lay…
「Hey, Nicholas!」
「Oh dear, this doesn’t look good.」
Coil had to bite back the urge to shout, ‘This is your lack of oversight!’
The stone wall meant to seal the area had a massive crack in it.
「For now, we search the area.」
「Of course, let’s do just that!」
Coil immediately began soaring around, searching for any enemies. However, he didn’t have to search for long.
The Abyss Continent was mostly barren, but near the ruins, a small grassy hill was swarming with monsters.
A horde of black, two-legged creatures blanketed the ground.
They were massive ants walking upright, each over two meters tall, armed with fearsome mandibles.
「Killer Ants, huh.」
「Well, they don’t seem like particularly strong monsters.」
「Idiot! Don’t underestimate ants!」
「But ants aren’t that much of a threat as long as they stay above ground, are they?」
「Why would you think that?! If anything, their presence above ground makes them even stronger!」
These were army ants, a particularly dangerous kind.
Unlike regular ants, they didn’t build nests underground. Instead, they formed formations like a marching army, devouring everything in their path above ground.
Individually, they weren’t very threatening. However, in swarms, the story was entirely different.
Ant-type monsters had the terrifying ability to reproduce endlessly by consuming other creatures. If left unchecked, they could become an unstoppable force.
Fortunately, this area didn’t have an abundance of prey for them.
For now, their numbers were still around a thousand.
If they were dealt with shortly after appearing, they wouldn’t pose an immediate threat.
It was crucial to exterminate them before they could attack human settlements.
「Do you have a plan?」
「The enemy’s already here! In war, speed is of the essence. The best we can do is lure them in and strike while avoiding being surrounded. Let’s go!」
Spotting humans nearby, the Killer Ants began chittering, grinding their sharp mandibles together with a piercing gi-gi! sound, before rushing toward Coil and the others, drawn to the soft, tasty flesh they seemed to offer.
The best way to kill insects is with fire.
Blazing Barrage – Fire Blast!
On this mana-starved continent, even magic was limited.
With precision and minimal energy, Coil targeted the monsters’ weak spots—their heads—and brought them down one by one.
Unfazed by the deaths of their comrades, the Killer Ants continued their relentless charge. Coil blasted through their heads one after another with his fire magic and shouted:
「Hey, Nicholas! Why aren’t you fighting?!」
At first, he thought the strange poses Nicholas kept striking were part of some kind of magical chant, but no—he was just performing a bizarre dance.
Even someone as composed as Coil wanted to yell at him for fooling around.
「I can’t use holy magic on the Abyss Continent. So, I’m here cheering for you, Little Boy.」
With that, the childlike archbishop struck a triumphant pose, yelling “Banzai!” with a grin.
Coil couldn’t help but sigh deeply. This guy was utterly unreliable.
What happened to the strong, enigmatic aura Nicholas had when he initially saw through Coil’s identity? (In truth, Nicholas had guessed randomly, but Coil hadn’t realized that yet.)
「If that’s the case, just say so! Take this gun and shoot! All you need to do is pull the trigger!」
Coil handed him a spare magically enhanced pistol he’d prepared just in case, ensuring Nicholas could at least defend himself.
Fortunately, Nicholas seemed to grasp the basics of using a pistol and managed to contribute—barely.
While Coil annihilated nine ants with a single volley of fiery blasts, Nicholas managed to take down just one, yet somehow looked smug about it.
To top it off, the gun was something Coil had provided. Truly, this man was exasperating.
「Nicholas, just looking at you drains my energy. Still, I suppose having you here is better than nothing. We’ll keep drawing the enemy’s attention and fighting them off.」
「Yes, yes, sir!」
Could he at least make his responses less demotivating?
Even so, their simple yet effective strategy gradually whittled down the ant horde.
「Gi-gi-gi-gi-gi-gi!」
A sharp, piercing screech suddenly echoed through the air.
From the swarm emerged a colossal ant, easily ten meters long, stomping toward them.
「Looks like it’s angry about its children being slaughtered.」
「That’s one big ant, Little Boy. Is that the boss?」
It was, more precisely, the queen ant.
Coil had expected her to appear eventually after killing enough ants, though her early arrival was a stroke of luck.
「If we kill her, the colony won’t be able to reproduce, and that’ll be the end of it.」
「But can you really burn something that big? I’m starting to think running might be the smarter option.」
Coil chuckled, his confidence unwavering.
He loaded a magically charged bullet into the other enchanted pistol he had prepared.
「Take this! Infernal Apocalypse Bomb – Hyper Mega Explosion Shot!」
Releasing all the mana he had been saving for this moment, Coil fired a glowing projectile that streaked through the air like a comet.
The brilliant orb of light streaked straight for the queen ant’s feet—
—and erupted in a massive explosion that shook the earth.
A roaring inferno engulfed the queen and her kin, scorching everything in its path.
The flames raged, searing even Coil’s cheeks as the intense heat filled the air.
When the dust settled, all that remained was a massive crater.
There were still a few stragglers left, but with the queen gone, the colony was no longer a threat.
「Is it over?」
「Yeah…」
But something felt wrong.
Coil couldn’t shake the sense that something was off.
If the queen ant were killed, the rest of the ants should have lost their coordination.
And yet, instead of dispersing, a new wave of ants emerged, surrounding Coil and Nicholas.
「Little Boy! Look at that!」
「What… the hell…」
From the horizon came an even larger queen ant, easily over twenty meters in length, dwarfing the previous one.
「Gi-gi-gi! Gi-gi-gi!」
The surrounding ants let out a chorus of mocking clicks. The earlier queen had been nothing more than a decoy.
Coil had fallen into their trap and exhausted nearly all his magic power. Now, he barely had enough mana left to escape.
As he racked his brain for a way out of this death trap, something even stranger happened.
「What is going on…」
The ants, which had been marching in perfect formation to corner him, suddenly lost all coordination.
Not only that, but the new queen ant was under attack by her own swarm. The ants were turning on each other in a frenzy of mutual destruction.
What in the world was happening?
Amid the chaos of the infighting ants, a single figure emerged, moving smoothly through the carnage.
No, this wasn’t an ant. Was it a person? A beastkin?
Even Coil, who had crossed between two worlds, couldn’t identify this mysterious, doll-like being.
「Greetings. I am Weaver Basket, a merchant of the Weaver Trading Company.」
「Who… no, what are you?」
「As I just introduced myself, I am merely a merchant.」
The creature, resembling a beastkin, offered an overly polite bow and chuckled, its tone amused.
A hat pulled low over its face and a cloak covering its body gave the impression of a traveling merchant, but no ordinary merchant would be here, of all places.
Coil glared, his voice low with suspicion.
「Is now really the time for casual introductions?」
「Of course it is. After all, the ants from the otherworld will soon wipe themselves out.」
「Wipe themselves out? How can you be so sure?」
「As you may already know, ants rely on their sense of smell to distinguish friend from foe, as their eyesight is quite poor.」
「I see! You manipulated their sense of smell!」
Even a highly social creature capable of setting traps like these ants had its weaknesses. This so-called merchant had exploited one of them somehow.
Coil, quick-witted as ever, deduced that Weaver’s immunity to the ants’ attacks must also be due to this manipulation of scent.
「But even if they’re fighting amongst themselves, it won’t completely wipe them out.」
「And why do you think that?」
「Because that queen ant could defeat all the others if it came to it.」
「Do you still think so after seeing her?」
Oddly enough, the gargantuan queen ant was visibly weakened, struggling as smaller ants gnawed away at her.
「How… why is this happening?」
「It’s simple, really. It’s a method even you are familiar with.」
「What are you talking about?!」
「How do you deal with ants when they invade your garden?」
「Well… for example, spraying pesticide.」
「That works, sure. But there’s an easier way. You let the ants carry the poison themselves—through bait.」
「You had the worker ants carry poisoned bait…」
With those words, everything clicked for Coil.
The queen ant, being the largest and most demanding for resources, would naturally consume the most of the poisoned bait.
Weakened by the toxin, the queen had become the perfect catalyst for the infighting that would ultimately destroy the colony.
「There isn’t much food to be found in a place like this. That’s why the ants so diligently carried the poison to their queen themselves, you see.」
Coil shuddered, recognizing the terrifying intelligence before him.
What Weaver described sounded simple enough in words, but in practice, it was anything but.
To weaponize the biology of creatures from another world required research, collecting scent samples, and then developing a way to turn those against them.
「You make it sound easy, but it’s not something just anyone could pull off. Weaver, how long have you been preparing for this?」
Coil wasn’t fooled by Weaver’s casual demeanor.
There was no way someone could have developed and executed such a plan after the ants appeared—it had to have been prepared long beforehand.
If this kind of feat was achievable in a short amount of time, even Coil, a genius magician and inventor, could have done it.
Which could only mean Weaver had been preparing for this far in advance—perhaps long before the ants even arrived.
No… maybe even before Coil himself was born.
「Oh my, you’ve deduced that much from so little? As expected of a reincarnated otherworlder.」
Alarmed, Coil forced his expression to remain neutral.
Talking to Weaver felt like being ensnared in an invisible web, unable to move freely.
「Impressive. Your thoughts don’t betray your face at all.」
It was true. Coil couldn’t afford to give this enigmatic figure any more information.
No—this wasn’t the time to simply hold back. If anything, he needed to take the offensive.
As soon as Coil reached that conclusion, Weaver spoke again, rapidly and decisively.
「Naturally, my associates and I have been preparing for this eventuality for a very long time. Long before your father ever set foot in this world.」
Coil froze. He’d been outmaneuvered. Weaver had already gleaned critical information about him.
「…You’re not even trying to keep secrets?」
Coil’s tone was bitter, his face twisted as though swallowing bile.
Weaver, smiling as ever, responded smoothly.
「Why bother? Weaver Trading Company conducts honest business, even here on the Abyss Continent. We’re an upstanding, legitimate enterprise.」
「You’re still trying to pass yourself off as a mere merchant?」
「Indeed. I’ve maintained a friendly relationship with your father’s Sawatari Company for years. I am, after all, the head of a respectable business. There’s nothing to hide… at least, officially.」
Weaver’s small, almost childlike frame exuded an aura of fragility.
But appearances meant nothing here. Coil and Nicholas themselves looked like children, yet they were anything but helpless.
The true measure of a being’s strength wasn’t in its outward appearance.
This fragile-looking figure had orchestrated the extermination of an entire colony of otherworldly ants.
To Coil, Weaver was the most dangerous kind of opponent—one whose depths were impossible to discern.
A being of such immense power had remained hidden, never stepping onto the stage of history until now.
And yet, Weaver had chosen to reveal himself, to Coil of all people, without hesitation.
「Because, my clever friend, you won’t tell a soul about what happened here. You have the most to gain by keeping it a secret, don’t you? Unlike your father, I believe you and I can engage in far more… mutually beneficial business.」
That was… true.
It only added to the eerie feeling that Weaver was guiding the conversation exactly where he wanted it to go.
「But Nicholas is listening to all of this. Are you fine with that?」
In an attempt to land even a small blow, Coil decided to make his move.
He glanced at Nicholas, who looked utterly unfazed, wearing a blank, indifferent expression as if this had nothing to do with him.
「Ah, don’t worry about Nicholas. He completely ignores anything that doesn’t interest him. Nothing to be concerned about.」
So that’s how it is, Coil thought.
How enviable, to be so carefree… utterly enviable.
「Very well then, Weaver Basket. What is it that you want from me?」
Resigned, Coil asked as though he were a fish already on the chopping block.
Weaver, however, answered as if he were merely engaging in casual conversation.
「What else would a merchant want but a fair trade? Surely, our existence benefits your sense of justice. This time, we worked together marvelously. Why not continue to join forces against the threats that endanger this world?」
「I suppose I have no choice…」
A fair trade? Hardly.
Once entangled in Weaver’s web, there was no telling what would be demanded of him in the future.
「Well then, let us proceed to seal the spatial rift that caused all this trouble, shall we?」
Weaver spoke with unabashed glee, and Coil could only watch him with mounting despair.
Letting out a sigh so deep it felt like his soul might escape, Coil muttered:
「So this is the ‘Harsh Fantasy’ father always lamented. I can finally understand why he said it so often…」
As he reluctantly shook Weaver’s outstretched hand, Coil found himself reflecting on his father’s words.
Born the son of Sawatari Takeru, Coil had the misfortune of crossing paths with the kind of terrifying entity that moves the world from the shadows—after only a few short years of life.