“Our Jo-ins’ bodies are far too heavy and fragile to fly in the sky. Therefore, no matter how much we struggle with our physical strength, we can’t take flight.”
Swish!
As the gray-feathered old Jo-in spoke, the young Jo-ins looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
“If it’s the weight of a small child, it might be possible to take off, but their wings wouldn’t have grown sufficiently. And once their wings grow enough, they’ll be too heavy to fly. So, you shouldn’t overestimate your abilities and attempt to fly, okay?”
“Yes!”
The young Jo-ins, still shedding their yellow feathers, shouted in unison, and the old Jo-in could only smile at their enthusiasm.
“What allows us to take flight is the power lent to us by the god of wind. Without that divine help, we wouldn’t be able to soar on our own.”
With that, the old Jo-in gazed at a small statue on the table.
The statue of a woman, wrapped in six wings, symbolized the god of wind whom the Jo-ins believed in.
“Of course, if one has trained enough to handle magical power and can lighten their weight, they can fly without praying to the god of wind… but remember, it requires deep training to reach that level.”
“Yes!”
“So, don’t forget to pray to that divine one and borrow the wind. As long as you hold onto your respect for that god, their winds will always help you rise.”
With that, the old Jo-in clasped his hands and began a short prayer, with the young Jo-ins mimicking him.
Then, a gentle breeze drifted past them.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
It would be great if those Jo-ins could fly on their own, but handling magical power isn’t easy.
Even lifelong mages using magic can sometimes meet their end from a single misstep, so would Jo-ins, one of the beast races, be any different?
At least they have the chance to control their physical capabilities through magical power, but that’s all based on the assumption that they can even use magic.
For those who cannot use magic, flying is merely a dream.
Therefore…
“If you lend your power, you can make it happen.”
“My power?”
“Yeah. If it’s your power as the god of wind, it might be possible.”
There exists a magic for flying using the wind, so if the Sylphid lent the wind, it could work.
The only differences would be the use of magical power and the borrowing of divine strength, right?
What’s needed for that is… the exchange of faith between gods and believers.
Believers offer their faith to the god, who accepts it and provides the requested help or power in return—a simple, basic relationship between a god and their follower.
If they can share Sylphid’s power by using that relationship, these Jo-ins could ride the wind and soar.
“Of course, plenty of practice is essential, though.”
“Practice…?”
“Exactly.”
Upon hearing me, Sylphid sighed softly and forced a bright smile.
“Alright! Then I’ll have to train those kids hard! This is going to get super busy!”
“That practice isn’t what I mean.”
“Huh?”
What I referred to doesn’t involve that kind of training.
“It’s the relationship between a god and a believer. Offering faith and lending strength. Other gods can do this naturally, but… Sylphid, have you ever done something like that before?”
“Well, um…”
Sylphid couldn’t readily reply. There were hardly any believers who believed in the god of wind Sylphid.
These young Jo-ins might very well be Sylphid’s first followers.
If they didn’t have the desire to fly, they wouldn’t have had any reason to believe in Sylphid.
“I must admit, I’ve never done anything like that.”
“That’s why ample practice is necessary. You need to learn to receive faith from those Jo-ins and share your power with them.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. If you lend them only a little power, they won’t be able to fly, and if you lend too much, they may not be able to fly properly because of excessive strength. You’ll need to find a balanced amount of power to control.”
So, practice is indeed essential.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
After that, Sylphid stopped dropping the Jo-ins off cliffs and focused on receiving their faith and lending them power.
From the perspective of the Jo-ins, who had been desperately flapping their wings while falling off cliffs, this was far easier, and they were happy.
“If I lend too much power, they’ll just fly away uncontrollably, and if I lend too little, they’ll fall because I can’t support them. This is being really tricky, isn’t it?”
“Finding the right balance is always tricky.”
It’s a task that needs that exquisite adjustment to not be too much or too little.
Adding to that, the specific needs would differ slightly for each Jo-in. Their weight, wing size, and various other factors could change the requirements. It could be slightly overwhelming for Sylphid, who was just starting out as a beginner god.
Still, once they could remember and adjust to that suitable balance just once, it would be smooth sailing from then on.
“Isn’t there an easier method, like some handy tips?”
“There isn’t. The only answer is practice. You’ll just have to get used to it.”
“Really…?”
You just have to work hard! Grabbing that right sense of balance won’t be easy at first, but you can do it!
“Hmm… How did mom do it initially?”
“Me?”
“Yes! Did you do it well from the start? Uh… is there a chance for mom?”
“Um… in the early days, I just worked hard? Most of my believers prayed for their health, so I adjusted the power just enough that those who were seriously in need received a slight betterment in health?”
Of course, there were those who prayed despite being mostly fine; that could be seen with just a glance.
In urgent situations where life was at risk, I prioritized those desperate prayers.
“Of course, right now, everything’s handed over to Asherat.”
“Aren’t you doing it yourself?”
“There’s just too much! How many people do you think pray to me in this world?”
“Ah. Um… a lot, I guess?”
Health is something every living being yearns for, and I am the goddess of life; it’s only natural for the number of prayers to be countless.
Anyone among the living who has experienced pain would undoubtedly have prayed to me.
That’s why I need Asherat! They are optimized for listening to prayers and fulfilling them! In terms of meeting prayers, they do even better than I do!
“Compared to that, your believers… aren’t that many, huh?”
“True, but…”
The Jo-ins gathered around to pray to Sylphid number only in the hundreds. That isn’t a particularly large amount.
So…
“Just keep practicing. That’s the only answer.”
“Is that so…?”
Since Sylphid has never had believers before, they certainly need more practice.
Keep trying hard, Sylphid. They are your first followers.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“So, brave hero, what brings you to this perilous land? And where are your other companions going all alone…?”
The old Jo-in spoke, regarding the man seated across from him.
The kindness in his eyes while looking at the young Jo-ins had faded.
“There was a little matter.”
“A matter… Hm. Judging by your tone, it seems it’s not something to dig deeper into, so I won’t pry.”
“Thank you.”
The hero slightly bowed his head in thanks before locking eyes with the old Jo-in.
The old Jo-in’s eyes, filled with profound wisdom, felt as though they were peeling back the layers of the hero’s heart, but the hero held the gaze without faltering.
At this moment, the hero needed the Jo-ins’ assistance.
“I have heard rumors that you’ve gathered formidable companions for an adventure to defeat the Demon King, but it seems there isn’t anyone among your Jo-ins skilled enough to be of help to you.”
“Is that so? The Jo-ins’ archery skills rival those of the Elves, don’t they?”
“That’s merely survival skills forged in a harsh environment; they do not suit the battles of grand scales like wars. The Jo-ins do not fit into large-scale wars, so they can only assist with scouting missions, I suppose.”
With fewer Jo-ins than the other beastmen, they cannot provide direct help in the war against the Demon King.
Instead, they decided to assist by utilizing their flying abilities.
“However, we have pledged to assist in emergency supply delivery and acts as messengers in the war… but what prompts you to seek us out?”
Upon the old Jo-in’s words, the hero considered his response for a moment before speaking.
“I need your Jo-ins’ power due to a slight issue within my heroic party.”
“Your Jo-ins’ power? What on earth happened to your heroic party?”
The hero did not respond to the old Jo-in.
– A record of adventures from a hero’s party.
