“Oh! Success!”
“We did it!”
Surrounded by people, I was crouching down due to severe dizziness.
(What? What happened?)
I was supposed to have been watering the plants on the balcony just a moment ago. My younger brothers are about to come over.
“Someone, help. I’m dizzy.”
Even though I shouted, no one answered. Was my voice too soft? But I couldn’t shout loudly because I felt nauseous.
Excited men were hugging and shaking hands. They were all foreigners. Moreover, they were dressed strangely. When I looked down, the floor I was crouching on had intricate patterns drawn with white lines.
“Welcome, Saint-sama, to our Kingdom of Kholdar!”
A handsome young man with a striking appearance reached out his hand to help me up. Still feeling dizzy, I took the man’s hand and stood up.
“Just as I foresaw, black eyes and black hair!”
“Saint-sama, please tell us your name.”
The people around fell silent and stared at me. Huh? What? Name? What does “saint” mean?
“I’m Ayukawa Haru. Haru is my first name. Ayukawa is my last name.”
“Haru-sama, thank you for coming. We wholeheartedly welcome you to our country!”
Wait, hold on. Can someone explain the situation to me? Thinking that, I looked around and made eye contact with a cool middle-aged man who gave off a vibe of “he must have been quite handsome in his younger days.”
That cool uncle called out to the handsome man who was holding my hand.
“Eldred, don’t panic like that. The saint is confused, isn’t she? First, explain the situation.”
“Oh, right, Father. I got excited and panicked.”
The handsome man called Eldred offered me a chair. Phew, I can finally sit down.
“Haru, I am King Wilfred Argain Kholdar. This is my son, Crown Prince Eldred.”
King? Crown Prince?
Could this be a prank? But wait, is this. . .reality?
From there, the Prime Minister, a middle-aged man, explained the situation to me.
“Our Kingdom of Kholdar is ruled by wizards. A year ago, our kingdom’s visionary wizard foresaw a great calamity. It seems that this calamity will overturn the very foundation of our country.”
“Huh.”
“To prevent this calamity, Summoner Victor, who possesses special powers, summoned Haru-sama from another world.”
Summoned? Where am I? Kholdar Kingdom, where is that?
“Huh? Special powers? I don’t have anything like that. I’m just an ordinary human. Are you mistaking me for someone else? If you made a mistake, can you send me back?”
Upon hearing my words, a momentary annoyance flickered across the face of the man called the Prime Minister and then disappeared. He quickly put on a friendly smile, but this person is scary. He feels like the same kind of person as our aggressive sales department manager.
And that Victor person, he looks pale and about to collapse, doesn’t he?
“Well, well, there’s no need to panic. The extent of the summoned person’s powers will become clear in due time. Now, please take a rest for a while. . .”
The Prime Minister’s words were interrupted midway.
Then, this Victor person made a loud thud and collapsed onto the hard floor. Did he hit his head? It sounded like a head hitting the ground, right?
At that point, the conversation was temporarily suspended, and I was led to a luxurious room. While I was served tea and drinking it, there was a back-and-forth exchange of “Please save our country.” “No, it’s impossible.” How desperate are these people?
Both sides were troubled, and for the time being, I was advised to rest.
I’d like that. First, I want to be alone.
The women wearing long maid uniforms helped me change out of my regular clothes and into a fancy nightgown, then told me to sleep on the bed.
At first, there were many maids, but when I got into bed, they all left except for one, a woman around my age who seemed calm.
“Um.”
“Yes!”
“What is your name?”
“I am Sherry, Saint-sama.”
“Sherry-san, I’m not sleepy yet, so may I ask you some questions? Also, please call me Haru.”
“Yes. If there’s anything I can help you with, Haru-sama.”
However, Sherry-san didn’t know many details. She only knew that I was summoned according to the prophecy of the visionary .
“What kind of great disaster is it?”
“Even the visionary doesn’t know.”
“When you hear about a great disaster, what comes to your mind, Sherry-san?”
Sherry-san put her fingertips on her cheek and elegantly pondered.
“For me, let’s see, heavy rain, massive floods, severe storms, rampaging groups of monsters, perhaps.”
I guess I was mistaken after all. What am I supposed to do as a Japanese office worker? Monsters are out of the question.
“I still think this is a case of mistaken identity. Tomorrow, let me talk to someone important and sort this out.”
“Understood. I will convey that to Prime Minister-sama.”
“By the way, I heard that this country is ruled by wizards. Sherry-san, do you happen to be able to use magic. . .”
I was about to ask if she could use magic, but my words stopped midway. Sherry-san was gracefully moving her hand towards the window. Then, the thick curtains quietly moved and closed.
Oh wow.
It’s not a sensor-operated automatic opener. From Sherry-san’s fingertips, beautiful golden particles, like tiny stars, sparkled and flowed out, flying towards the curtains.
Furthermore, Sherry-san directed her hand towards the lighting fixture, moving her fingertips like a conductor.
The chandelier on the ceiling turned off, and a gentle light illuminated the small stand next to the bed. The golden particles disappeared as they were absorbed by the target.
Magic really exists. . .
“You must be tired, so please rest well. There are guards outside the door, so if you need anything, please call out to them. I will come immediately.”
“Yes.”
Sherry-san gracefully bowed and left. I collapsed onto the bed with a thud, but quickly sat up.
No, no, no. I can’t sleep now! I can’t prevent a major disaster or anything.
If they realize that they summoned the wrong person and that I’m useless, what will they do to me? Punishment or something? No way, right? They wouldn’t do something like that, right?
Above all, will they send me back to my original world? My brothers are coming.
I was in a state of turmoil for a while, but I must have been tired because I fell asleep without realizing it.
The next day, when I woke up, a voice called out from the corner of the room.
“Good morning, Haru-sama. I will assist you with changing your clothes.”
“Good morning, Sherry-san. Where are the clothes?”
Sherry-san pointed to a door that opened, revealing a space as spacious as a cramped one-room apartment in Tokyo. Inside, there were numerous dresses, shoes, hats, accessories, and more.
“No one would know my size, right? I hope they fit.”
“The person who helped you change yesterday has a rough idea of your size. It should be fine, I believe.”
When I tried on the baby blue dress that was handed to me, it fit perfectly. The shoes fit perfectly too. The palace maids are amazing. They’re professionals.
Eager to learn more about the situation and explain the case of mistaken identity, I asked Sherry-san, who was smiling, for a conversation while she set up breakfast. From a wagon that seemed to be waiting in the hallway, she arranged hot tea, milk, plum-like fruits, round bread, soft-boiled eggs, boiled thin slices of meat, and butter.
“Itadakimasu.”
Apparently, “Itadakimasu” is not a custom here, as Sherry-san tilted her head in confusion. However, the meals were all fresh, the milk was rich, and the tea had a delightful aroma. Everything was delicious.
After feeling satisfied, I pressed Sherry-san, saying, “Now, I want to talk to someone who knows the situation.” Finally, I was able to meet with Prime Minister Benedict Farrar-san.
The room was overall dimly lit, and on the other side of a large desk sat Prime Minister Benedict. The chair I was told to sit on had dark-colored fabric, a high backrest, and the whole room felt like the depths of the sea.
Prime Minister Benedict had that scary smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Haru-sama, are you tired? I see, you’re fine then. So, what would you like to discuss?”
If the room was the depths of the sea, then the Prime Minister was a deep-sea fish. Sharp gaze, flawless body movements, and a low voice.
“Everything. Why was I summoned here and what is expected of me? How long will this last? How can I return to my original world? I have many questions.”
Prime Minister Benedict stared at me with his turquoise eyes as I spoke, then he ran his fingers through his dark brown hair before explaining.
“Our visionary wizard foresaw a major disaster some time ago. This person has never been wrong before. According to the vision, it is a calamity that will greatly impact the fate of our country. And it was foretold that a girl with black eyes and black hair should be summoned to prevent it.”
“But I don’t possess such incredible powers.”
“No, the visionary wizard specifically stated that a black-eyed, black-haired maiden would be summoned. That is you, Haru-sama. You simply haven’t discovered your own power yet. Today, we have called someone who can read your power, so please rest assured.”
“So if I can prevent the disaster, will I be able to return to my original world?”
The Prime Minister, who had a similar atmosphere to the aggressive sales department manager, gave a suspiciously deep smile.
“It is crucial for both of us to make efforts towards that outcome.”
Deep-sea fish never give any promises like that.
Could it be. . . I won’t be able to go back? Anxiety tightened my chest.
Eventually, I was guided to another room, and an old woman with white hair entered. The old woman respectfully bowed and gestured for me to sit in the chair in front of her.
Soon, important-looking people also entered, their eyes sparkling.
“I am the Appraiser Magician, Woodywa. Today, I will appraise Haru-sama’s powers.”
Saying that, she took out a small round dish-like object from a box on the small table between us. She then held her left hand over the dish and placed her right hand on her chest, muttering something.
Just like when Sherry-san did it, golden small stars overflowed from the palm of her hand over the dish, and water sprang forth from it.
As I was captivated by the phenomenon unfolding before my eyes, the water that had appeared in the center of the dish rapidly increased in volume, filling the dish’s rim in an instant. Amazing. Where did this come from?
“Now, please place your hand over this dish.”
The wizard old lady called out to me, snapping me back to reality. I hurriedly placed my right hand over the dish filled with water. Of course, no golden stars appeared. Woodywa-san widened her eyes in surprise.
“This is. . . Haru-sama, try using your left hand this time.”
“Yes.”
I placed my left hand over the dish. Then, the Prime Minister couldn’t hold back and interjected.
“Well, Woodywa, what do you see?”
Woodywa-san, with her wrinkled face wearing a helpless expression, answered.
“Prime Minister-sama, surprisingly, nothing. This person doesn’t possess any magical power at all.”
“T-That can’t be right. The summoning was a success. Investigate again!”
I was examined over and over, changing hands multiple times.
“There is no mistake. Haru-sama doesn’t have any magical power whatsoever.”
I told you so! When I turned around, the Prime Minister, who resembled a deep-sea fish, glared at me as if saying, “I’ll kill you with my eyes!”
Huh?
They summoned me without permission and now, when I claim it’s a case of mistaken identity, they don’t listen and all the important people who were excitedly celebrating are now downcast.
I don’t care.
“Can you send me back to my original world? I didn’t come here willingly.”
I repeated that several times, but no one responded. In the end, I was yelled at, “Shut up!”
…The deep-sea fish yelled at me. They forcefully kidnapped me and now they’re annoyed. As I was about to give up and return to my room, someone spoke to me from behind.
“Haru-sama, we cannot send you back.”
When I turned around, it was a man with a chin beard standing next to the Prime Minister.
“You won’t send me back? Or you can’t send me back?”
“Both.”
I almost raised my voice in anger but held back. Calm down. Don’t forget that there’s not a single ally here.
“I don’t…understand.”
The man with the chin beard then explained apologetically.
“When summoning someone from another world, it consumes the summoner. Victor, who summoned you, has already finished his role as a summoner. The magical connection required for summoning has been severed. And if we try to send you back using another summoner, that person’s entire life will be ruined.”
“So?”
“I can’t ruin the life of a summoner just to send you back without doing anything. That’s why we can’t send you back. We’ll reevaluate in one week. If you still don’t have any magical power, you can do as you please.”
Such a selfish argument. But I endured it. After all, I have nowhere to escape to. The only maid who came to my room was Sherry-san. Well, that’s fine. I don’t want to be treated as a polite saint anyway.
And of course, one week later, I still had no magical power. This time, the Prime Minister spoke up.
“Sigh, let me give you one piece of advice. Do not disclose that there is a major disaster coming to this country. It will cause a commotion among the people. If you speak, your life is not guaranteed. Now, that’s enough. You can go wherever you want. Leave the castle immediately.”
Did he just call me “you”?
You scum. This guy is such scum. But now that I know I’m useless, if I make a fuss, I might really be killed. I should quietly withdraw from here.
I rushed out of that room and took a moment to calm my heart in the courtyard on the way back. Sherry-san stayed by my side the whole time.
After zoning out for quite a while, I weakly returned to my room. When I opened the door, the room had completely changed while I was away.
It was empty, with no furniture at all. There wasn’t even a handkerchief in the closet. Only the jeans, hoodie, and underwear I was wearing when I came here were directly placed on the floor. The thorough selfishness of it made me laugh unintentionally.
Of course, if I’m going to leave, I should think about what to do next. As I slowly changed clothes, the maid, Sherry-san, entered and gently spoke to me.
“Haru-sama, I truly apologize. I, this is too cruel. . .”
As she said that, tears welled up in her eyes as she bit her lip.
“Sherry-san, you’ve done nothing wrong. Please don’t cry. It’s just that I don’t know what to do in this country where I don’t know anyone.”
Then, Sherry-san approached me and whispered in a low voice.
“When you leave the castle, you will undergo a physical examination, so I won’t be able to pass you a note. Please remember this. There is an inn called Aura in Sanbancho, Minami-ku. It’s my family’s place. Please go there. If you tell them that Sherry taught you about it, they should help you. I cannot forgive the way things were done this time. It was too selfish.”
Ah, I’m relieved. . . There are people here who have compassion. I was starting to think this country was full of scoundrels.
“Sherry-san, thank you. I will never forget this kindness. Sanbancho in Minami-ku, the Aura, right? I’ve got it.”
“Please be careful until you reach the Aura. Well then, excuse me.”
After saying just that, Sherry-san hurriedly left the room.
Soon, two soldiers arrived and escorted me to the exit, standing on either side of me. To others, it would appear as if I were being taken away.
I walked with the soldiers through the vast royal castle. Everyone passing by averted their gaze from me. It seems that news of my lack of magical power has spread. When we reached the entrance for commoners, the soldiers kept their distance.
As Sherry-san had said, I underwent a physical examination conducted by female staff. After confirming that I wasn’t taking anything from the castle, the woman simply said, “You may leave.”
Summoned against my will and ordered to leave. Before I get pelted with stones or something, I need to hurry and reach Sherry-san’s family’s place.
I turned back and engraved the towering royal castle in my heart. I will never come back here, no matter what.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
I walked aimlessly through the bustling streets of the capital city. Some people stared at my unusual attire, but perhaps because it was a lively urban area, most people ignored me. Along the way, I chose a kind-looking person to ask for directions and eventually arrived at the inn called Aura.
Inn Aura was a small inn with a sophisticated appearance. It seemed to be run by a well-to-do Ojou-san, chosen as the caretaker for the summoned person from another world. And she had a good personality too. I felt really fortunate to have Sherry-san.
The young woman who was promoting the inn in front of the establishment looked slightly surprised when she saw my attire, but she greeted me with a friendly smile and asked, “Are you here to stay?”
“No, I’m not a customer. I was told that Sherry-san would help me if I came here.”
“Wait a moment, please. I’ll go consult with the owner!”
The young woman said just that and rushed inside. After a while, she returned and guided me to what seemed to be the reception area.
As I felt grateful and slightly embarrassed while being served tea and sweets, a man in his forties named Modal-san kindly asked about my situation. Modal-san turned out to be Sherry-san’s father. Until then, I hadn’t been very emotional, but once I started talking, tears flowed uncontrollably.
“So, I’ll do anything. Please let me work here. I hope you’ll take care of me.”
As I choked up while explaining the situation, Modal-san looked at me with a sympathetic expression and nodded.
“I can’t badmouth the people at the castle, but what they did was truly terrible. If you’re okay with it, please stay here as long as you like. And please don’t hate this country that suddenly summoned you.”
Oh, how grateful I was. I repeatedly bowed my head and expressed my thanks.
Chapter 4: I am good at cleaning
I was hired as a servant.
The owner, Modal-san said he would treat me as a guest, but I declined. I can’t use magic, and I’m ignorant about this world.
“I don’t have any magical abilities, so please let me do any work that doesn’t require magic.”
Modal-san waved his hand in front of his face.
“No, no, most commoners, including myself, can’t use magic, so don’t worry. My daughter Sherry is one of the rare commoners with magical powers. Thanks to that, she was able to be employed at the royal castle.”
Is that so? I felt relieved and almost lost strength in my legs.
I was assigned to receive guidance from Claire-san, the head servant. Claire-san was a plump woman in her fifties with her hair tied up in a bun. She kindly guided me to the servant’s quarters.
“I’ve heard from the owner. It was a disaster. But don’t worry, everyone here is friendly. This is your room. It’s a shared room for two. It’s small, but it has everything you need. You’ll be living with Connie. She’s still working, so I’ll introduce her later. As for your belongings…oh, you don’t have anything. You were really summoned out of nowhere and thrown into this world.”
Saying that, Claire-san hugged me tightly.
“It must be tough for you. You had your own life, right? But this country isn’t just filled with people like that. Please stay strong.”
Being in Claire-san’s arms felt warm, soft, and comforting. It made my tense heart relax a little.
I was assigned as a room cleaner. When I mentioned that I was good at cleaning, they said, “Let’s see your skills first.” After the guests checked out, I was entrusted with cleaning the rooms. After finishing the cleaning, I had Claire-san inspect it.
“There’s absolutely no fault. Did you work in the cleaning industry in your previous world?”
“No, I was just an ordinary office worker. Traveling alone on my days off was my hobby, and I often stayed at cheap accommodations. Cheap accommodations can be either clean or not. So I can understand what places are worth worrying about from the perspective of a guest.”
“I see. With this, I can leave the work to you alone starting today.”
That’s good. I can be useful. I’ll do my best with all my might. If I can’t go back anymore, I have to live in this world.
“I want to start working right away. Because I don’t have to think about anything,” I pleaded, and Claire-san handed me the uniform while saying, “You’re demanding, aren’t you?” It was a maid outfit with a shorter length than what Sherry-san was wearing.
Most of the guest rooms were for one or two people, and there was one room for four people. I used the broom, dustpan, bucket, and mop that were given to me for cleaning. I also used the rag that was in the cleaning supplies closet along the way. I polished under the bed, window frames, the top of a small chest, and the table and chairs. It was also my job to remove the sheets and covers from the bed and replace them with new ones.
Without thinking, I immersed myself in work to keep my mind occupied. I carefully cleaned the corners of the room, the undersides of chair legs, the corners of window frames, and the edges of mirrors. Cleaning allowed me to avoid feeling anger or sadness.
I worked diligently and the day came to an end. We took turns quickly eating sandwiches for lunch. Late at night, when all the guests had settled into their rooms, the staff members were gathered. Modal-san explained how I ended up here, being hired as a cleaner, and that Sherry-san had recommended me.
“It’s terrible that they summoned a girl like you, who is no different from the girls in this world, and then just left you alone because you don’t have any magical powers.”
Miles-san, a sturdy man in his thirties who worked as a cook, clenched his lips.
“We’ll be sharing the same room from tonight. I’m Connie. Nice to meet you!”
Connie had cute reddish-brown hair. She seemed like a nice person, which put me at ease. After that, it was time for a late dinner.
“So, why were you summoned? There must be a reason, right?”
“They probably intended to summon a talented wizard. I don’t know any details.”
Everyone muttered complaints about the important people in the palace. They said things like it was too arbitrary or that they were heartless. I nodded in agreement because it was true, but I didn’t mention the talk about the great disaster. I couldn’t afford to slip up and get killed. I value my life.
“Well, Haru, you must be tired today. Have a good night’s sleep.”
“Thank you, Claire-san.”
In the following days, there were moments when I felt down, but I decided to throw myself into work to forget about it. I worked hard, got tired, and slept well. That became my routine. And after two weeks, it was finally my day off.
“Haru, you have the day off today. What are you going to do?”
“I’m thinking of going to the market. I don’t know anything about this country, so I want to learn little by little.”
“I see. Be careful of pickpockets. Oh, but you don’t even have a wallet.”
I have the money that is paid to me every week. But I don’t have any personal belongings, let alone a wallet. Connie gave me a cute pink cloth bag as a gift. It seemed like a wallet. I put my money inside and decided to go out.
“I’m off!”
“Be careful not to get lost!”
The market was just a short walk from the inn. There were lots of people, inviting voices, and the scent of food in the air. The important people said that a great disaster was going to happen, but I couldn’t sense any signs of it. The weather was pleasant, and the market was bustling with energy. I wonder if the great disaster will really come.
An earthquake? A massive typhoon? Even in Japan, countless disasters have occurred, but the country didn’t perish. Maybe they’re worrying too much.
Exploring the market was enjoyable. I bought and ate things I had never tasted before from food stalls. I also drank juices with flavors I had never experienced.
And then, I encountered someone I didn’t want to see.
“Oh, so you were here!”
I was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder from the side. I was scared and froze, but when I saw the person’s face, I was surprised. It was the wizard who summoned me.
“Um, if I remember correctly, you’re Victor-san?”
“I’ve been searching for you. Why did you leave the castle?”
“Huh?”
What is this person talking about. . .
Noticing that people around us were paying attention, Victor-san said, “Please come this way.” and quickly walked ahead.
As he tried to enter a fancy restaurant, I resisted at the entrance.
“I have no business with you, and I have no money. So I won’t enter this restaurant.”
Victor-san looked at my face with his brown eyes.
“What’s the matter?”
“If it’s about money, I have some. I won’t do anything violent. I have to talk to Saint-sama. Anyway, it’s bothersome to argue in front of the shop, so please come inside.”
Reluctantly, I sat down in a corner seat as I was told. Ordered two cups of tea, and Victor-san let out a sigh.
The young wizard had brown eyes and long, silky brown hair. His hair was tied back, and he was wearing a shirt, jacket, and pants instead of the robe he wore at the castle. And he seemed much thinner than when I first saw him.
“I heard from the Prime Minister that you left while I was bedridden. Why did you do such a thing?”
“No, it’s completely the opposite. I was told to leave. So I left the castle just as I was. And I’m Haru. If you’re going to call me Saint-sama, I’ll leave right now. Please don’t use honorifics.”
“Ah, well then, Haru. Just as you were? That’s. . . terrible. What have you been doing all this time?”
“I’ve been living thanks to kind people. I’ve met kind people. I don’t want to tell you the details. Do you even understand what you’ve done? What you did was a nationwide kidnapping.”
“. . .”
“I was living a relatively happy life in my world. My sudden disappearance must have worried my family and friends. They might be grieving, thinking I got involved in a crime. After realizing that I was useless, you abandoned me alone in a foreign country without even giving me temporary money.”
“I’m truly sorry for everything. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll make it up to you with all my might. But my summoning magic was successful. Haru should undoubtedly save this country from the disaster.”
“Saving the country, huh? Shouldn’t you try to solve things on your own first? Anyway, please leave me alone. Your apologies are unnecessary. Well then, thank you for the tea. Goodbye.”
I desperately tried to appear calm. I didn’t want to shout or lose control.
“Wait!”
It seems that Victor-san tried to stand up and chase after me. However, he swayed and ended up kneeling on the floor.
“Are you okay, sir?”
The staff of the shop rushed over. Even the customers at the other tables widened their eyes and looked at us.
“Um, Victor-san? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“…I’m fine.”
He muttered only that and fell silent. If I just ignore it and leave, I’ll become just like those important people in this country who only care about themselves, huh?
Reluctantly, I lent a hand to Victor-san and helped him sit in a chair, then returned to my seat.
“Are you eating properly? You’ve lost quite a bit of weight, haven’t you?”
“Eating? Since the incident, I haven’t had any appetite. Even though I successfully performed a summoning that happens only once in a lifetime, it was treated as if it never happened.”
“Wait. Treated as if it never happened? After summoning me?”
“Yes. It seems that it cannot be said that the summoning ritual performed under the orders of His Majesty the King failed. Even though I’m saying it wasn’t a failure.”
“Ugh. How despicable can these people be? And what about you? After using a once-in-a-lifetime summoning, damaging your body, you haven’t been fired from your position in the castle, right?”
Victor-san smiled faintly with a dark expression.
“I haven’t been fired. Because I am officially recorded as having retired from the Royal Palace’s Wizard Corps due to illness. The records have been altered. That’s why it’s as if I never used the summoning ritual.”
Oh… this person is also a victim, you could say. If he was an employee, he couldn’t help but obey his superiors’ orders.
“Um, I’m just asking out of curiosity, but do you really have money? Do you have a stable foundation for your life?”
If it’s about a man’s pride, I’ll pay here. I have a decent workplace that guarantees my livelihood, after all.
Then Victor-san took out a leather bag from his pocket and placed it on the table. It made a heavy sound, “thud.”
“Take a look.”
I untied the bound string and peeked inside. It was filled with various sizes of gold coins, silver coins, and reddish copper coins.
“Oh, you really have money. That’s a relief. Then we should order something to eat. I’ll order. What do you feel like eating?”
My past upbringing of taking care of my two younger brothers unintentionally showed on my face. Whether it’s a virtue or a flaw, I tend to take care of people who are in trouble or weakened.
“Anything is fine.”
“There you go. Saying ‘anything is fine’ is what troubles people the most, you know? Well, I’ll order something random, so please eat without complaining about your preferences. Also, since it’s troublesome, can we speak in a normal tone?”
After a while, a soup with beans and potatoes and a sandwich with ham and eggs arrived.
“Take your time and eat little by little. Chew well, or your stomach will be surprised.”
Victor-san drank the soup wearily, but it seemed delicious. He scooped up some soup with a spoon and took a bite of the sandwich. Watching him, I felt a warm and gentle feeling, as if I had given food to a hungry large dog.
After finishing everything and rubbing his satisfied stomach, he looked straight at me and opened his mouth.
“A great disaster will surely come. The visionary has never been wrong. She is a genius. And my summoning was not a failure. I need your power. I want you to help me save this country.”
“…Are you still saying that? Did you really listen to what I said?”
Return the warm feeling to me, please.
This time, I really stood up and left the shop. I walked while feeling annoyed. To avoid being followed, I needlessly turned corners multiple times in the market, almost getting lost, until I returned to the inn, Aura.
Suppressing my turbulent heart, I entered through the back door of Inn Aura and stood in the backyard. It’s quiet here, and my heart feels calm.
The backyard is filled with lush flowers, and in addition to the well and laundry area, there is a small shrine. Unlike Japanese shrines, it has a miniature shape like a Roman temple. Inside, there is a stone statue of a goddess about the height of my knees. I clasped my hands together and said, “I have returned safely” as a gesture of gratitude.
“Hmm?”
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that a small amount of golden powder was coming out from the back of the statue’s head. It was so little that I had overlooked it until now. The golden powder occasionally flowed out from the back of the head and fell to the ground. When the golden powder touched the ground, it disappeared after a while.
Perhaps due to the effect of the powder, the flowers around the shrine were flourishing and blooming vibrantly. The vigor of the flowers was clearly different from those in a distant place. Intrigued, I cupped my hands and gently caught the overflowing golden powder from the statue.
It feels slightly warm. The powder disappears, but a gentle warmth gradually spreads through my body from the palm of my hand that caught it. Magic is amazing. Why is this statue emanating magic? I should ask Modal-san about it later.
“What are you doing, Haru?”
Startled, I jumped at the voice that came from behind. When I turned around to the familiar voice, it was indeed Victor-san.
“You followed me?”
“I just came to find your whereabouts because I still have something to discuss.”
So he says he came to find me.
Victor-san glanced briefly above my head. Curious, I looked up and saw a tiny blue bird, about the size of a hornet, flying in circles above my head.
“Wow, what’s this? It’s so cute!”
I reached out my arm, and the tiny bird stopped flapping its wings and perched on the tip of my index finger. It seemed satisfied as it preened itself there.
“Hey! What did you do to the Familiar Bird?”
“What? I just thought, ‘I wonder if it will land on my finger,’ and it did.”
“Can you see it?”
“Well, of course I can. My eyesight is not bad. It’s so cute. I want to have a small bird like this too.”
Victor-san was silent, but when I looked at his face, he was opening and closing his mouth.
“Those without magic should not be able to see Familiar Birds. Moreover, since I’m monitoring, no one other than me should be able to see them, not even wizards.”
“Oh, really? Even though I’ve been thoroughly examined and confirmed to have no magic, I can still see the blue bird.”
“Blue… It’s true. I can’t believe it.”
Saying that, Victor-san made a motion as if grabbing something in the air, like a conductor stopping the orchestra’s sound, and the little bird disappeared.
“Oh… It disappeared. So, it wasn’t real?”
“In that case, what were you doing here, or rather, what were you doing, Haru?”
“What do you mean? I was just catching the golden magic overflowing from the statue of the goddess with my palm.”
“Huh?”
“You’re so noisy.”
“Can Haru see it? No, is magic emanating from the statue?”
“It is, look, a little golden powder is coming out from the back of the head. It’s scattered around, and the plants and flowers are thriving, aren’t they?”
Victor-san shook his head and approached the statue.
“I can indeed sense a faint flow of magic. This must be a point where the earth’s magic wells up. But still, being able to see surveillance birds and magic without any magic. . . Could it be because you’re from another world? Perhaps this is evidence that the prophecy of the visionary was correct. . .”
“What are you muttering about? Anyway, this is my workplace. Please don’t disturb my work.”
“I-I didn’t mean to. I see, this is an inn. In that case, I’ll stay here for a while. I’m currently living in inns anyway. I’ll stay here until the mystery of Haru’s powers is unraveled.”
Oh no, how annoying.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
“So, I’d like to stay here for a while.”
“Please wait a moment.”
Modal-san said that and pulled me into a room behind the counter.
“Haru, is it okay? That person, the one who summoned you. If you don’t like it, I can say we’re fully booked and refuse him.”
“No, it’s fine. He’s a customer, so please make a good profit. It doesn’t matter to me anymore, no matter what he says.”
“Is that so? If he does or says anything unpleasant, immediately tell us, okay? Got it?”
“I understand. Thank you for your concern.”
In this way, Victor-san became a guest at the Aura Inn. And he specifically requested me as his room attendant. Sigh. I accepted because I didn’t want to cause trouble for Connie-chan and the others if I refused.
As a result, Victor-san turned out to be a gentlemanly guest who only asked me questions when I had free time. He even started using friendly language with me, as if we were already friends.
During my conversations with Victor-san, I learned that the golden powder of magic cannot be seen by anyone else. Wow, I was surprised.
In that case, I want to know why magic is welling up from the statue in the shrine in the backyard. Maybe someone other than me, someone who can see magic, chose that spot to place the statue?
I should ask Modal-san about it.
Chapter 7: What Can I Do That Only I Can?
“Oh, the goddess statue in the backyard? It should have been there when I inherited Aura, but is there something wrong with it?”
“Magic is emanating from the back of that goddess statue, isn’t it?”
“Magic? No, I’ve never heard of such a thing. Haru, can you sense magic? Weren’t you told that you don’t have magic?”
“I don’t have magic, but I can see magic. When Sherry-san uses magic, beautiful golden powder flies from her fingertips.”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Modal-san and I exchanged puzzled looks.
“Could it be that Modal-san and the others can’t see the golden powder?”
“Of course we can’t see it. I’ve never heard of being able to see magic.”
Just then, Victor-san’s voice cut in from behind.
“That’s right. There is no one in this world who can see magic.”
“There it is.”
“Don’t say ‘there it is.’ Haru, I want you to try and see if you can see my magic.”
“Sure.”
Victor-san, who had somehow appeared behind me, moved his arm. Dense golden powder flew from his fingertips and landed on the flowers in the vase. A pretty pink flower floated up, still covered in golden powder, and then flew back into Victor-san’s hand. The golden powder disappeared.
“I can see it. The golden powder is denser than Sherry-san’s. Victor-san, can you do the same thing again?”
Victor-san moved his arm.
I quickly extended my arm and intercepted the golden powder between Victor-san and the vase. The powder sparkled and formed a small whirlpool in my hand before disappearing. The flowers in the vase didn’t move.
“Huh? You stopped the magic?”
“Don’t speak so loudly. It’s already nighttime, so don’t raise your voice.”
“Haru, one more time!”
From then on, Victor-san used magic multiple times, but I intercepted it every time, so the flowers didn’t move. My right hand, which had caught the golden powder multiple times, warmed up and gradually spread warmth throughout my body.
“Haru, is your body okay?”
“Yeah, Haru. Does nothing happen when you block a wizard’s magic?”
“Not really. It just feels warm. I want to see what happens if someone else blocks the magic. Show me.”
“Huh? Me? No, I don’t want to. It’s scary.”
I grabbed Modal-san’s wrist, who was reluctant, and said, “Come on, just once.” Victor-san deliberately activated the magic slowly, saying, “I’ll make it as weak as possible.”
“Ouch!”
Modal-san’s arm was thrown back with a snap, leaving a red mark on his palm.
“If it were a stronger magic, it could have created a hole in your hand or even taken off your arm.”
Modal-san turned pale at Victor’s words. I’m sorry!
“Then why do I just feel warmth?”
Even though I voiced my question, after that, Victor-san immersed himself in his own world and didn’t respond to anything I said. Muttering to himself, he left the room.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
It was close to midnight. Connie and I, sharing a twin room, were chatting.
“Hey, Haru, Victor-san is wonderful, isn’t he?”
“Oh? Does Connie like that type of person?”
“No way, I don’t like him or anything. He’s a wizard, after all. He’s out of reach for someone like me. But his face is handsome, and his slender figure is also attractive, isn’t it? He doesn’t act superior to us, even though he’s a wizard.”
Unable to understand, I sat up on the bed unconsciously.
“I don’t really get it. Does it matter if someone is a wizard or not when it comes to falling in love with them?”
Connie also sat up. The two beds were placed against the left and right walls, with only a nightstand’s worth of space between them. It was a small but enjoyable room.
“Oh, right. Haru, you’re not from this world, so I almost forgot.”
From there, Connie explained the marriage customs of this country to me.
In this country, there is a distinction not only between nobles and commoners but also between those with and without magical power. It seems that all citizens have their magical power determined on their twelfth birthday. There have been no cases of magical power appearing after turning twelve.
Even if you are a commoner, if you have magical power, you can marry a noble. And if a noble family doesn’t have a child with magical power, they must marry someone with magical power to continue their lineage, or else they have to return their title to the country.
“Wizards are quite popular, huh?”
“Yes, it’s true. It’s not uncommon for nobles to have multiple lovers until a child with magical power is born.”
“Ew. The birth rate might increase, but what about the morality of that. . . But if a country like that summoned me, I can understand why everyone would be disappointed.”
“But for Haru, it must have been a disaster. If I were suddenly summoned to Haru’s world, I wouldn’t be able to survive. Haru, you’re amazing. You’re admirable. You’re strong!”
“Maybe I’m resilient. I grew up in a slightly complicated environment.”
“Is that so? Well, let’s go to sleep now. As long as Haru is doing well, I’m satisfied.”
“Thank you, Connie. Good night.”
In the world, there are many people who, upon sensing the scent of others’ misfortunes or troubles at home, gleam with excitement. But Connie didn’t latch onto that point when I accidentally mentioned it.
I felt relieved by her thoughtfulness and kindness. There are unpleasant people, but there are also kind people. That doesn’t change even in this world.
Tomorrow will be another early day. I’ll sleep well and work diligently. I slipped under the covers and closed my eyes. Because we talked about marriage, I remembered my family.
Okaa-san, Otou-san, I wonder if you’re doing well. How worried must you be about this situation? I hope my younger brothers are doing okay. I hope they’re not going through a hard time because of me. I hope it doesn’t become a big news story.
If only I could let them know that I’m safe.
Chapter 8: End of the Irritation
“Haru, there’s no doubt that magical power is emanating from the goddess statue, right?”
“Absolutely.”
Victor-san was lost in thought with a composed expression, but he obtained permission from Modal-san to move the goddess statue. Now, the three of us, including me, are in the backyard.
“Well then, I’ll move it.”
Victor-san lifted the goddess statue with both hands. Huh? Aren’t you supposed to move it with magic? Just as I thought that, it was as if Victor-san heard the voice in my mind, and he turned around to explain.
“In the past, I could move it without saying anything. But now, I can’t produce as much magical power as before.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face speaks volumes.”
“How rude.”
We’re using casual language. While it is allowed as a request from Victor-san for the accommodation, Modal-san is nervous.
Victor-san moved the statue with both hands. There was a circular hole in the pedestal, and a flow of golden powder began to spill out from a low position.
“This statue has a hole from the soles of the feet to the back of the head. That’s why magical power from the earth comes out from the back of the head.”
“The person who came up with this must have been seeing golden powder. Hey, Victor-san. If you receive this golden powder on your body, wouldn’t it heal your burnt-out magic or something?”
“Huh? I’ve never thought about it, but why do you think that?”
“Well, when I bathe in the golden powder that comes out from here or the powder that comes out from your magic, my body feels warm and I feel good. So I thought if you tried it too, you might get good results.”
“Maybe it’s because Haru is a person from another world?”
“Hmm. If it makes you feel worse, you can just stop. It’s just a bonus if you become healthy and regain your summoner’s power, right?”
Victor-san’s brown eyes staring at me make me uneasy.
“What is it?”
“Are you hating me, Haru?”
“At first, I did.”
“Then why are you worried about me?”
I know my own personality.
“It’s because I’ve always been meddlesome. I can’t ignore people who are in trouble or weakened. It’s just self-satisfaction.”
Still, Victor-san keeps looking at my face.
“Just bring a chair here and read a book while bathing in the golden powder. It’s worth trying for a few days, I think.”
“O-Okay.”
Oh, Victor-san obediently listened to what I said.
“By the way, Victor-san, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-three, but why does that matter?”
“Twenty-three…the same age as my younger brother. I thought you were older because you always act so high and mighty.”
“Younger brother?”
“From now on, you can call me Haru-neesan.”
“W-Who would say such a thing!”
Victor-san turned his face away, blushing. He has a cute side too.
“Ahem.”
Oh no, I forgot. Modal-san was here too.
“Well, I should get back to work now. When you’re done with the statue, please return it to its original state.”
He winked as he left.
“Wait a moment. I’ll bring a chair.”
I asked Claire-san if it was okay to use the chairs stored in the storeroom, then brought one to the backyard. Victor-san was crouching down, staring at the hole in the pedestal.
“I brought the chair. You see, the gold dust rises from that hole up to about knee height and then gently falls around. I think it would be more convenient to have the statue in place to receive the gold dust.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
As I tried to put the statue back on the pedestal, Victor-san hurriedly tried to do it himself. Our fingertips touched, and it felt a bit awkward.
“I’ll do it.”
“Yeah. Thank you.”
When I placed the statue, the gold dust passed through the inside of the statue and spewed out from the back of its head. It floated gently in the air before slowly descending. I placed the chair and had Victor-san sit down. The gold dust danced around his shoulders, back, and waist before disappearing.
“Yeah. It feels good as it dances around my body. Even if you think it’s a trick, give it a try. Shall I bring a book or some tea?”
“Could I have some tea, please? Sorry, Haru, you were supposed to have a day off, right?”
“It’s fine. There will be another day off.”
I called out Miles-san to cook something, and borrowed an empty wooden box. I also made some tea. I used a handkerchief as a makeshift tablecloth on the wooden box and placed the tea cups on it.
“So, about what we were talking about earlier.”
“Yeah? What are you referring to?”
“I don’t hate you. You were just doing your job. And you gave it your all, but everything was erased, right? I want you to feel better.”
Victor-san had a puzzled expression.
“As long as you’re trapped in the past, you won’t be able to move forward. That’s why I’ve decided to stop being angry about being summoned to this world. Victor-san, I’m sure you’ve had many things that made you angry, but if possible, try to forget them and take care of yourself.”
My thoughts are my own. Whether he accepts them or not, it’s Victor-san’s freedom.
Now, back to work. I have to clean every corner of the guest rooms. I distanced myself from Victor-san, who was covered in gold dust, and returned to work.
Chapter 9: That Thing that Appeared on Yakitori Holiday
Victor-san sits in front of the statue of the goddess every day. He has been sitting there reading for over ten days. When I’m asked to bring him tea, we chat a little.
It is said that occasionally, magical power wells up from the earth. However, no one can see it, so people can only vaguely sense the intensity of the magical power through the behavior of wild animals or by saying, “This area feels. . .” It seems rare for it to well up in the middle of a town like this.
When I asked about the effects of continuously being showered with golden powder, which is the magical power of the earth, he said, “I feel like it’s working.” He mentioned that it’s easier for him to circulate magical power within his body compared to before. That’s a relief.
The ordinary and peaceful life at the inn, the Aura, soothes my heart, which tends to feel anxious in this otherworldly place.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
The long-awaited day off after two weeks finally arrived.
Since I am technically responsible for Victor-san, I informed him, “Today, please ask someone else for assistance.” He asked me where I was going.
“To the market. Last time, I couldn’t fully enjoy it.”
“I apologize for ruining your holiday that time. I was in a rush to find you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m not angry either. I believe in forgetting the past. Well, whether I can truly forget or not is another story.”
Victor-san seemed hesitant and continued mumbling, so I caught on.
“I see. You don’t want to be alone, huh? You want to go out with Onee-chan?”
“What? Who’s Onee-chan? I’m not lonely! I just feel like I need to apologize for ruining the previous holiday.”
“Got it. Shall we go to the market together? I really want to explore the entire market.”
“Sure. I’ll accompany you. I’ll also look for a book or something.”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
The arrangement of food stalls in the market is never boring. Here in the Kingdom of Kholdar, there is a variety of food influenced by both Western and Southeast Asian cuisines from my previous world. While the meals in the palace are Western-style, it seems that the commoners’ meals have many Southeast Asian influences.
As I was walking around, I found a stall selling something like grilled skewers. They were skewered on thin sticks, sprinkled with spices, and grilled.
“What a wonderful smell!”
“Do you want to try it?”
“I want to.”
Victor-san bought two different types and came back.
“Let’s eat while it’s hot.”
“Thank you. How much was it?”
“It’s on me. It’s an apology for interrupting your previous holiday. Today, eat as much as you want.”
“Thank you. Then I won’t hold back.”
I took a bite of the piping hot meat. It resembled chicken but had a slightly different texture. It had a more animal-like chewiness. The spices nicely masked any gamey taste, making it delicious.
“It’s delicious. I wonder what kind of meat this is.”
“That’s rock pheasant. It’s a bird that lives on rocky terrain and eats leaves and nuts. It’s delicious, right?”
“A duck on rocky terrain… Well, it certainly is delicious.”
“Do you want something to drink? We have alcohol and juice.”
“Then, something not too sweet and cold.”
“Understood.”
While watching Victor-san heading towards the stall, I noticed something. Above his head, there was a small bird, about the size of a hornet, with a dark red color. At first glance, it looked exactly like a bee.
I quickly borrowed a piece of paper and a pen from a nearby stall owner and scribbled a note.
[There’s a dark red bird flying above your head. Wait there for a moment, I’ll do something about it.]
I left the note on the table and stood up. Knowing that the bird was there, Victor was being monitored by a wizard. Did they also see me?
I watched Victor from a slightly distant spot in the bustling market. He returned to the table with the drink and glanced at my note, momentarily stiffening his expression, but then he pretended not to notice. Good, good. Don’t look up. I’ll help you now.
I hurriedly searched for what I was looking for in the market. Once I found it, I quickly made the purchase and ran back to Victor’s vicinity.
Victor was calmly drinking tea at the table. He seemed to have noticed me, but he pretended not to and continued as if nothing happened. I quietly circled behind him and, at the moment when the red bird was looking the other way, I put a hat tied with a string on the end of a long stick over the bird’s head.
“I did it! Victor-san, I caught the red bird!”
Victor-san stood up and peered into the hat on the ground where I lay.
“Oh… It seems it disappeared after all.”
The hat was empty, with only a faint golden powder lingering in the air.
“Haru, thank you. I’m not in perfect condition right now, so I didn’t notice the surveillance bird. If it’s a bird of that color, I can tell who’s controlling it. But why are they suddenly monitoring me?”
“Victor-san, before that, let’s change our location. It’s dangerous for both of us to be having a conversation while I’m swinging an empty hat in mid-air and you’re peering into it. We’re attracting too much attention.”
“Understood. Let’s go to a proper establishment. It’ll be harder for them to monitor us there.”
As we headed towards the restaurant, I suddenly thought. Did the surveillance bird only monitor Victor? Or am I also being watched?
Chapter 10: Rocked by a Horsedrawn Carriage
We briskly walked through the market alley and entered a tavern.
Both of us ordered cold ale. As soon as the ale was brought to us, we gulped it down and took a breath before discussing.
“If it’s a dark red little bird, I think it’s Brent Baynes, the captain of the wizard unit. Do you remember him? He had a gentle-looking beard.”
“Oh, that guy. The one who said he won’t send me back to my original world and has no intention of doing so.”
“He said that? Did you ask for the reason?”
“Just because your personal summoner messed up their whole life. But more importantly, I might have been seen too. You and I, who shouldn’t have been summoned, being together, I wonder if it’s okay.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely not good. I didn’t expect this. . .”
“What? Don’t give up halfway.”
“I’m considering the worst-case scenario, but. . . I feel like it would be better for us not to be in the capital.”
There’s no way we’ll be killed, right? I tried to laugh it off, but I couldn’t feel relieved when I remembered their dry response when it was revealed that I had no magical power. Keeping myself alive has its risks, but there are no benefits. Looking back now, I’m grateful they didn’t eliminate me and let me out of the castle.
“Haru, would you like to leave the capital with me?”
“It’s a coincidence. I was about to say the same thing.”
The two of us then left through the back door and headed straight to the inn called Aura. I looked up several times. There were no tiny birds, but I couldn’t feel at ease.
Aura is Sherry-san’s family home. If I stay there, it might cause her trouble. I want to avoid causing any inconvenience to my benefactor.
Returning to the inn, we explained the situation and decided to leave the Aura Inn. The owner, Modal-san, Connie, the head maid Claire-san, and the cook Miles-san were all surprised and saddened.
“Even though you helped me, please allow me to leave like this suddenly. Considering the possibility of being seen by important people in the castle, I think it’s better for us not to be here.”
Saying that, Connie hugged me and cried.
“Poor thing. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. I’m really sorry.”
“Connie, don’t apologize. Thank you for being kind to me. I’ll write you a letter once things settle down.”
“Haru, come back here when the heat dies down.”
“Claire-san…”
“Listen, don’t drink untreated water.”
“I understand. Miles-san, thank you for the delicious meals.”
“Haru.”
“Modal-san, I will never forget your kindness.”
We greeted everyone and left the Inn. Victor had already left long ago. We had a predetermined meeting place. I packed the unfinished bed cover, the remaining yarn, a few changes of clothes, and the generous amount of salary I received into my backpack and walked.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
In a room within the royal castle, the commander of the wizard unit, Brent, and the Prime Minister, Benedict, were facing each other.
“We lost sight of them in the market. It seems that our surveillance birds were noticed.”
“Hmm. I didn’t think Victor had recovered that much.”
Brent was not convinced by this surveillance.
“Is surveillance really necessary? He’s just now a second-rate wizard with burnt-out magic and a woman without any magical power. They pose no threat.”
“Not just Victor. But, that woman is bothering me. Even though it’s His Majesty’s opinion, we should have taken care of the woman.”
Prime Minister Benedict was anxious.
The visionary wizard is still predicting a catastrophic disaster that could shake the country. Yet, after Victor, the next most talented summoner has been unable to successfully summon anyone. They say they can’t find the right person to summon no matter what they do.
“His Majesty is also in a hurry. We must summon the saint no matter what. What if rumors about the impending disaster are spread by one of those two before we succeed? The commoners will start clamoring about what the wizards are doing.”
“Prime Minister, Victor is not that kind of person.”
“I don’t know. Until he left here, he kept insisting that the summoning was a success and that Haru was the saint.”
Brent regretted it. The current summoner couldn’t find the summoning target no matter what. He started to think that if he hadn’t accepted the Prime Minister’s instruction to pretend that everything never happened and had left Victor and Haru here, the situation might have been different.
(Although it’s too late for everything, there was no problem with Victor’s summoning magic.)
Brent was confident that Victor’s summoning had been successful. However, it was unexpected that a human without magical power came instead of a saint with strong magical power.
Why was a person without magical power chosen as the summoning target? Even Brent didn’t understand that.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
“You have quite a bulky luggage.”
“It’s filled with an unfinished bed cover and a lot of yarn.”
“A bed cover? Why. . .”
“I didn’t have any personal belongings, so I thought I’d try knitting. I didn’t have anything.”
“I see. I’m sorry for everything.”
“I don’t hold any grudges against you. Anyway, where are we going? I don’t know anything about this country, so I’m relying on you.”
The merchant’s carriage, which I prepaid and got on, was heading towards the southern metropolis after leaving the capital city. It was a city that Victor had visited only once before.
“Since the city where I was born and raised would be searched for, I chose a city I’ve only been to once.”
“I see. I’m looking forward to it. I hope it’s a wonderful city.”
Seeing Haru, who didn’t complain even in this situation, Victor’s heart twinged with pain.
Chapter 11: Whirlwind in Heartfield
After three days of being shaken in a carriage, we arrived at the heart of the Heartfield territory, a large city called Heartfield.
“Well, first we should look for an inn.”
“I don’t have much money, so can we find a cheap inn?”
“Yeah, that’s what I plan to do. Who knows how long we’ll be living like this.”
“We also need to find jobs.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
We decided to stay at a small and modest inn called “Swingbird.” It seemed to be run by an elderly couple.
“We can’t provide meals, is that okay with you?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Thanks to that, we were able to secure a place to sleep at a low price. The room was small, just one room. Well, if we use something to divide it, it’s like having two single rooms.
“I’m going to walk around the city and look for work.”
“I’ll go with you. Haru, you’re unfamiliar with this city.”
“Please, do as you like.”
Heartfield city was big. It wasn’t as orderly as the capital, with winding streets and narrow alleys that gradually became narrower like capillaries. It seemed to be an old city, like the Middle Eastern scenery I saw on the internet. It also felt Middle Eastern that most adult women were wearing thin veils that covered their faces.
“What does that veil mean?”
“Married women don’t show their faces to anyone other than their family.”
“I want one too. I want to hide my black eyes and black hair.”
“I see.”
The two of us entered a Western-style shop and bought veils. Alright, I feel a little relieved. Victor-san also bought a local-looking gown-like outfit. We might look like locals at first glance, right?
“Now, let’s look for jobs.”
“You’re enthusiastic.”
“If I stay still, I won’t think of anything good. It’s easier when I’m moving.”
“I see. So, before looking for a job, should we take a break somewhere?”
Oops, I forgot. Victor-san is still recovering. I hurriedly looked for a suitable shop and settled down at an outdoor seat.
“Um, I’m sorry for not realizing. I’m a bit clumsy, so please feel free to tell me.”
“No, I also forgot. But traveling in a carriage can be tiring. I feel like my body was more comfortable when I was in front of that statue.”
It would be nice if there were places in Heartfield where gold dust would spring up too.
The tea that was brought to us looked similar to jasmine tea. The two of us silently drank tea while watching the passersby.
“Oh, someone is using magic.”
Victor-san raised his head and looked at the crowd. I also stared at the waves of people, and from a distance, a small whirlwind slowly approached us, swirling and undulating.
Although it was a whirlwind, no one’s clothes fluttered. It didn’t stir up dust or trash. It was just a strange whirlwind that distorted the scenery like a mirage as it moved.
“What’s wrong?”
“Victor-san, there’s a thin whirlwind slowly moving along the street. What is that? It’s creepy.”
“A whirlwind? I can’t see anything.”
“Yeah, ah!”
A gust of wind approached a well-dressed middle-aged man. It came close silently, but the man didn’t notice. Suddenly, golden powder burst out from his entire body, and the gust of wind turned into a pillar of gold.
Eventually, the gust of wind subsided and disappeared into the sky.
“Oh! He collapsed!”
The man, who had emitted golden powder from his whole body, suddenly fell to the ground. The people around started peering and causing a commotion.
“I’ll go.”
“Hey, Haru!”
I didn’t know what was happening, but if the golden powder was something only I could see, maybe I could be the only one who could help. Pushed by a guilty feeling of “only I can see it,” I rushed over.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, ugh…”
He was sweating and looked unwell.
“Um, should I help you stand up? Should I call a carriage?”
“Sorry, please call a carriage.”
“I’ll go and call one. You stay here, Haru.”
Victor-san ran off, and I helped the man sit at the side of the road. The people who had gathered dispersed.
“Um, is it because your magical power ran out?”
“W-Why do you know?”
I couldn’t just start talking about the golden powder here. I reluctantly had to lie. I wanted to slap my own mouth for saying unnecessary things.
“Just a feeling, I guess.”
“Do you sense it?”
“Something like that.”
The middle-aged man was well-dressed, and his skin and hair were well-groomed. I thought there would be servants at his house, so we were waiting for the carriage to arrive when I said, “Take care of yourself,” and tried to leave.
“Wait.”
When I tried to help him into the carriage, he unexpectedly grabbed my wrist with a strong force. Victor-san quickly intervened and tried to release his grip.
“Please, I want to express my gratitude, so come with us.”
“No, thank you. We’ll go back like this.”
“Please, just this once.”
The well-dressed man bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry. We can’t ride in a stranger’s carriage.”
I bowed, quickly shook off his hand, and ran away. I looked back a few times, but there was nothing. We returned to the shop from earlier and moved to a seat where we couldn’t be seen from the outside.
“I’m sorry. I said something unnecessary to that person.”
“What did you see? You mentioned a gust of wind.”
“Yeah.”
I told him as accurately as possible what I had seen. The thin gust of wind swirling with golden powder. When I watched the man earlier, a large amount of golden powder burst out from his whole body, causing him to collapse. When I asked if his magical power had run out, he admitted it.
“That man was in a state of magical power deficiency. When the magical power in the body is depleted, it becomes like that. Anyone can become like that if they use magic excessively. But, there shouldn’t be a case where it happens while walking.”
“Maybe he had a massive amount of magical power drained from him?”
Victor-san tilted his head.
“I’ve never heard of a gust of wind that absorbs magical power.”
“I wonder what it could be. But, I’m glad he’s safe. Let’s discuss this matter later. First, we need to find a job.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“You can take it easy a little longer.”
“No, I’ll go too.”
Victor-san’s fondness for me was adorable.
Chapter 12: Sorry for Making You Feel Defeated
I asked around, but all the jobs except for construction work were long-term commitments. Since I wasn’t sure if I could settle down for a long period, I gave up on those and returned to the inn.
“How much has Victor-san recovered? I’m from a world without magic, so I don’t know about these things.”
“You don’t have to use ‘san.’ Just Victor is fine. Well, I’ve regained quite a bit of magical power, so I can probably use basic attack magic.”
Oh.
“Could you try attacking me a little?”
“What? You’ll lose your limbs, you know?”
“Is that so? Moving the magical flower was nothing for me, right?”
“…When you put it that way, I…”
Encouraging the somewhat resistant Victor, we went to the backyard of the inn, where he weakly cast some sort of attack magic towards me. He kept saying things like “I won’t attack a woman or a child!” until the end, but I pretended not to hear.
“Ice Arrow.”
Ara, there’s no chuunibyou-like incantation? I thought there would be something like “Come forth, spirits of ice.”
Out of consideration, the thin and short ice arrow pierced deeply into the ground, which should have been compacted soil in the inn’s backyard.
“This doesn’t really count as an experiment, does it?”
“But if you were hit directly by that, you would die.”
“Would I? For some reason, I feel fine.”
“You just feel fine. You’ll get hurt!”
“Then, let’s start by receiving it in my palm.”
“In your palm, huh? I’m not particularly skilled in healing magic, but well, I should be able to heal your palm.”
“Alright, hurry up.”
Victor gathered his resolve and used magic on me again.
“Ice Arrow.”
The moment the ice arrow hit my palm, there was no impact at all, and the ice arrow disappeared.
“Is this a joke?!”
“Well, as I thought. Magic in this world doesn’t work on me, huh?”
“If that’s the case, I’ll aim without holding back.”
“Go ahead.”
“Ice Arrow!”
This time, it was a thick and powerful-looking arrow, but the result was the same. Victor collapsed with a thud. That’s right, he’s a wizard working at the royal castle, so he must be excellent. I’m sorry if this was his first failure.
“Haru. Can I use Ice Lance?”
“Sure. I don’t know what Ice Lance is, though…”
“Ice Lance!”
Even though he was in the middle of speaking.
The ice lance was about the length and thickness of a mop handle, and I was a little startled, but the result was the same.
“No way, no way, my Ice Lance doesn’t work. Ice Lance! Ice Lance! Ice Lance!”
“Hey, wait…”
Well, everything disappeared! I was surprised. He kept firing ice lances, making a “chudon chudon” sound.
“I won’t stand for this! Fireball!”
I got tired of it, so I let him do as he pleased. The fireballs, which were about the size of a handful, disappeared while scattering some gold dust.
Victor, who seemed to have his spirit crushed, went to a corner of the garden and slumped down. The sight of a big man slumping down was kind of cute.
“You’ve fully recovered, haven’t you? You can use magic continuously without any problem, right?”
“I’m fine. Well, I don’t use much magical power for something like that. Besides, my specialty is summoning magic. I’m not specialized in attack magic.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m a skilled summoner by trade, you know.”
Was the shock too much? He finally started calling himself skilled.
“What about the burned-out magical veins?”
“They’re still completely useless.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. I can’t accumulate the magical power necessary for summoning. I’ve checked multiple times.”
“I see. Well, there’s no helping it then. What else is Victor good at besides magic?”
No response.
“Victor?”
“I grew up in an orphanage, relying solely on my talent for magic. I haven’t done anything else.”
The skilled wizard doesn’t seem to have any other skills.
“It’s better for both of us not to reveal our true identities, so it’s best to find a job where our faces won’t be recognized. How about a food stall?”
“What kind of food stall doesn’t reveal our faces?”
With a chuckle, I took out a veil from my skirt pocket.
“You can hide your face with this.”
“What about me?”
“You’ll have to figure something out.”
“That’s quite a sloppy plan, hey.”
Trying various nearby items, Victor put his long wizard-like hair into a turban and covered his mouth with a scarf. It might make him look even more suspicious, but for now, let’s consider it good enough.
“So, what are we going to sell?”
“Something that’s not sold in this market, gelato!”
“What’s that?”
“It’s something that can’t be made without Victor’s powers.”
Afterward, we gathered ingredients and tools like milk and sugar from the market. Back in our room, while encouraging Victor, who lamented, “Using my ice magic for something like this,” we created plenty of gelato.
We made three flavors: milk, orange, and tea, each in small buckets.
“Hey, isn’t running a gelato stand risky?”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s pretty obvious that we’re using ice magic, isn’t it?”
“Fufufu.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Just in case something like that happens, I bought this.”
It was a small stone tablet with a magic circle drawn on it. Apparently, buying a real one is expensive. The inn’s old man taught me about it. The one I bought is used and has run out of magical power, but apparently, people pay a good amount of money to have a certain amount of ice magic put into it.
Of course, this is just a facade, and we’ll actually be using Victor’s ice magic. As long as we keep quiet, it won’t be noticed, I’m sure.
“Haru, did you deceive people and work like this in your previous world too?”
“No, how rude. I was a diligent office worker!”
We borrowed an unused table from the inn and opened a gelato stand in front of it.
The customers who tried gelato for the first time were all delighted, exclaiming, “It’s cold! It’s sweet! It’s delicious!” My prediction that a cold dessert requiring ice magic, although not difficult, wouldn’t be readily available in this warm season turned out to be correct.
The unique gelato stand thrived, and all three buckets were empty before evening.
Looking inside the empty can in the coin purse, it seemed we had made quite a profit. I was excited to see how much it would be after deducting the cost of ingredients.
The next day and the day after, the gelato stand gained a reputation, attracting long queues. We increased the amount we sold slightly and earned by announcing “Sold out when it’s gone.”
At night, Victor and I were having dinner at a nearby tavern.
“Why don’t we sell in larger quantities? I could make more.”
“It’s fine like this. The limited quantity stimulates the desire to buy.”
“Is that how it works?”
“Yes, it does. By the way, do you think the Prime Minister is still looking for us?”
Victor pondered for a while before answering.
“I don’t think that Prime Minister has given up. He’s someone who never gives up on anything.”
“That’s why he rose to the highest position in practical affairs, right?”
“That’s right.”
We returned to the inn feeling a little down. Living while being pursued gradually wears away at one’s heart. I want to live peacefully. If I can’t return to my original world, I want to settle down and live securely in this country.
“What should we do?”
“Hmm?”
“I want a calm life.”
“I’ll do my best so that someday we can have a calm life.”
“. . .”
I wonder how long I can stay with Victor. At first, I thought he was troublesome, but now I’ve come to rely on him completely. However, Victor has his own life. I feel bad for burdening him with me.
So, what should I do? The answer isn’t clear right now.
At night, we hung a sheet over the rope stretched between the two beds, serving as a curtain for privacy while doing laundry. It’s not that I suspect Victor, but I don’t want him to see my sleeping face or how I sleep. It also allows me to change clothes comfortably. The sheet curtain has become a part of our daily life.
The gelato continued to sell well. Victor even went the extra mile to secretly chill the gelato under the table to prevent it from melting for customers who wanted takeout. It’s amusing to see someone who was solely focused on magic paying attention to such details.
“Hey, you two.”
Startled, we looked up, and it was the person who had collapsed after having their magical power drained before.
“What can I do for you?”
“I said you don’t need to thank me.”
We unintentionally tensed up, and the man said in a low voice, “Let me talk to you for a moment. I assure you, I’m not a suspicious person.”
(What should we do?), I asked Victor with my eyes, and he shook his head slightly. Seeing that, the man spoke up.
“That stone tablet, it’s empty, right? It’s actually you who’s using magic to cool it down, isn’t it? Is there some reason why a wizard is working at a stall like this?”
Victor stepped forward, ready to use magic.
“Oops. It’s not wise to use magic in a crowded place like this. Let’s refrain from doing anything dangerous. I just want to talk.”
“If you want to talk, I’ll listen here.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
We tidied up our belongings and stood by the side of the road, ready to listen to the man’s story.
“I am Conrad Sloane. I am the lord of the neighboring Sloane territory.”
“A lord? Really?”
Then the man who introduced himself as Conrad showed Victor some kind of identification.
“Hmm. What kind of story does the lord have for us?”
“It’s about what happened the other day.”
“You mean the whirlwind incident?”
“Ojou-san, how did you know that I ran out of magical power? You’re not a wizard, are you?”
Victor looked at me with accusing eyes. I shouldn’t have said unnecessary things, I’m sorry.
“It’s just a hunch.”
“Can you be honest and tell us? The truth is, the residents of my territory often come to this market.”
“Huh.”
“Some of the magic users among them came to this market to shop and collapsed. They experienced the same magical power depletion as I did the other day. There have been several official reports about it.”
Both Victor and I remained silent, urging him to continue.
“I came to investigate based on those reports as a wizard. And I also ran out of magical power and collapsed. That’s when I noticed that you two seemed to know something.”
“Are you suspecting us? I was worried and rushed over, and Victor called a carriage for you.”
“No, no. I don’t think you two are the culprits. I just want to know if you know something or if you can tell me anything.”
I was hesitant. To think that the same thing was happening elsewhere.
“We don’t know anything. We just want to live quietly. Can’t you leave us alone?”
“I’m begging you, if you know anything. . .”
At that moment, I noticed it. It was slowly approaching from far down the street.
“Victor! That thing is coming again!”
“Huh?”
From the other end of the street, that thin whirlwind was wriggling and slowly getting closer.
What should we do!
“Quick, run! Conrad-san! Victor! Hurry!”
“Conrad-san has experienced it, but I haven’t.”
“So what?”
“I want to experience it too.”
“…Don’t say stupid things! Stop it, let’s quickly go inside the building!”
“What are you guys doing?”
I forcefully pushed Conrad-san, who was talking, into the entrance of the inn behind us.
“If you want to see, then watch from there! Hey, Victor, please. Please stop.”
However, Victor remained motionless with a stern expression. Our physical strength difference was too great, so no matter how much I pushed or pulled, he didn’t budge. I’m on the verge of tears. Why!
“How far has it come? Tell me. Only you can see it, Haru, so tell me quickly!”
Is it his curiosity as a wizard? Even though Victor is still recovering from his illness.
“Right now, it’s in front of the general store. It’s moving slowly. Now it’s in front of the greengrocer’s. It’s coming. Hey, it’s really coming!”
The slowly advancing whirlwind seemed to have eyes as it approached Victor, who was standing on this side of the road.
“It’s here!”
As if drawn to Victor, the whirlwind approached, and in the moment it touched or didn’t touch him, a vast amount of golden powder erupted from Victor’s entire body. Unable to bear it, I grabbed Victor’s arm and pulled with all my strength.
Victor staggered and swayed. The whirlwind followed him, moving two or three steps.
“Go over there!”
The whirlwind had now become a pillar of gold, about the size of a person’s embrace. When I swung my arm and touched it, scattering golden powder, the pillar dispersed into thin air. Perhaps due to anger, the fear inside me from earlier had calmed down a bit.
Victor knelt down on the ground with a thud.
“Victor! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, thanks to Haru, I managed to avoid running out of magical power. What happened to the whirlwind?”
“It disappeared when I touched it.”
Victor looked pale and was sweating. It seemed like he was feeling faint.
“Are you guys okay?”
To those who couldn’t see it, it probably looked like a quarrel between a young man and woman. There were people passing by, grinning and even whistling.
“Haru, I’m sorry. I worried you. I’ll be fine. Although a considerable amount of my magical power was taken away.”
“You idiot. Victor, you idiot. What will you do if you collapse again, even though you’re still recovering?”
“I’m sorry. I just really wanted to experience it.”
At that moment, Conrad-san timidly interjected.
“Um, sorry to interrupt, but could you explain it in a way that I can understand? Please.”
Is this person also the same type as Victor?
“What is the most important thing to Conrad-san after his life?”
“What’s with the sudden question?”
“Just tell me.”
“Well, um, my wife, my daughter, and my subjects.”
I stood right in front of Conrad-san, peering into his eyes as I asked.
“Then, if you promise not to tell anyone other than your wife, daughter, and subjects, I will explain.”
“Hey, Haru, stop it.”
“Victor didn’t listen to me either.”
“Alright, calm down. You’re trembling.”
I didn’t realize I was trembling until he pointed it out. Ah, I was really scared that something would happen to Victor. He’s my only companion.
I told the innkeeper and his wife, “I want to talk to this person,” and the three of us entered the room. The innkeeper’s wife made tea and handed it to me. I was grateful.
Victor and I sat on our respective beds, while Conrad-san sat on the only chair.
“So, what happened?”
“My magical power was completely drained. As you can imagine, I am a wizard.”
“Haru seemed to be able to see what was taken from his magical power, right?”
“Yes. I can see it. It’s something that looks just like a whirlwind.”
And then? Conrad-san looked at me as if asking.
“Both yesterday and today, a whirlwind-like thing slowly wriggled and spiraled its way from the east side of the street. Real wind doesn’t blow, but when it approaches someone with magical power, it sucks out their entire body. The whirlwind from before wrapped itself up and turned into a pillar of magical power, then rose into the sky and disappeared.”
“Did it rise into the sky this time too?”
“This time, it dispersed and disappeared when I swung my arm.”
Maybe it’s better not to mention that I touched it.
“I have one question too. How many people in Conrad-san’s area have been affected?”
“I’ve received reports of three people being affected. Of course, all of them are wizards.”
I had been thinking for a while, and I had only one idea.
“Is there a way to detect where people with magical power are?”
“There is.”
“There is.”
Conrad-san and Victor immediately responded, and Victor explained it to me.
“If you’re a wizard who can use detection magic, it’s easy as long as the other person is using magic. But Haru, you don’t think that was the work of a wizard, do you?”
“I can’t say for sure yet, but there is a possibility. Natural phenomena are usually well-known, right? Conrad-san, you came all the way here to investigate, so it must be something unusual, right?”
Oh, Conrad-san looked at me as if saying, “I see.”
Victor explained while deep in thought.
“It’s possible. First, I’ll use detection magic. If I find someone with magical power, I’ll activate a whirlwind-like magic. Then, I’ll absorb their magical power.”
“Is there really a magic that can absorb magical power?”
“There is. It’s quite a special magic. In the wizard-exclusive prison, we regularly absorb magical power. A powerful wizard means nothing in front of the Iron bars and stone walls.”
That’s scary. Does it feel like regularly drawing blood for ordinary humans?
“To summarize your story, there seems to be a whirlwind that approaches people with magical power, whether it’s artificial or a natural phenomenon. Thank you. It was very helpful.”
Conrad-san stood up. It seems he’s leaving.
As I stood up and tried to see him off, I was stopped.
“Keep an eye on Victor.”
Then he looked up at the laundry rope dividing the room and smiled a little.
“I thought you were a couple, but it seems not. If you’d like, why don’t you come to my territory? Living in an inn can be tough in many ways. I can provide a room in my mansion. I’d be happy if you could sell gelato in my territory. It’s a place with abundant nature.”
Since it’s not a decision I can make immediately, I pondered and said, “Hmm.” Then Conrad-san took out a piece of paper from his pocket, wrote something on it, and handed it to me.
“It’s my home address and my name. If anything happens, please send me a letter. You can come directly as well. It might be useful to show this when you’re in trouble. If you come, I’ll welcome you.”
Saying that, Conrad-san left.
Victor remained lying down for a while, lost in thought. But while tidying up his belongings, he kept his eyes on me, who was in the same room.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling better? If there’s something you want to eat, I’ll go buy it for you.”
“…No, it’s fine. I was in the wrong earlier. I just couldn’t resist my curiosity.”
“Yeah, I thought so. Victor seems like a researcher.”
“Yeah, that’s right. When I want to know something, I can’t help but give in. That’s why I became obsessed with summoning magic, a magic that can only be used once in a lifetime. The result is this situation.”
Really, this person.
“If he had summoned the real saint, Victor would be on the fast track to success by now. I’m sorry for not being someone like that.”
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Fufu, just kidding. I teased you because you looked down.”
“Haru…”
Victor stood up, and his upper body swayed slightly. I hurriedly rushed over, grabbed his shoulders, and supported him, but in return, Victor hugged me tightly.
“Huh?”
“Thank you. Thank you for worrying about me and getting angry. I tried to remember when was the last time someone worried about me like that, but I couldn’t recall. Maybe it was when my mother was still alive. It made me happy.”
“Yeah.”
I pushed Victor’s chest with both hands and escaped from his arms. This kind of situation is unfamiliar, so I can’t calm down.
“Victor, why don’t we go to Conrad-san’s territory? It might be fate. Besides, there might be a spot where gold dust is spewing out in the countryside rather than in this city, right? Maybe if we bathe in that gold dust like a hot spring treatment, it might even cure your burnt-out something.”
“Even if my burnt-out condition is cured, I can’t go back to the royal castle anymore.”
“Even so. If something you had when you were born is damaged, you’d want it to be fixed, right? Also, what kind of workplaces do wizards have other than the royal castle?”
“There are various places, but… wizards without a recommendation letter from their previous job like me won’t be hired by reputable places. There’s nothing more troublesome than a wizard with the potential for crime. Wizards without a recommendation letter are treated with caution in proper workplaces.”
“That’s unfair.”
“It’s only natural for those who don’t possess magical power.”
“Shall we go and see? Conrad-san’s territory. I want to go. It seems fun to explore various places in this world.”
“Yeah, that’s right. We’re both free. Let’s go and see.”
We decided to go as soon as tomorrow, packed our belongings, informed the innkeeper Ojii-chan that we would leave the town early in the morning, and paid for the accommodation.
“Will you come to stay again?”
“Maybe. This place is very comfortable. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Feel free to come back anytime. I’ll be waiting.”
“Thank you. Take care of yourself and your wife.”
We shook hands and left the room.
“Is Conrad-san’s territory far?”
“No, it’s just a day by carriage.”
“Then, let’s go soon. Hey, can you summon that little bird now?”
“Yeah, I can.”
Saying that, Victor put his index finger on his lips and muttered something.
A blue bird, about the size of a sparrow, or rather, the size of a quail’s egg, appeared in the air. It flew in circles around the room, chirping. When I held out my palm, it landed on it and started preening.
“It’s cute. It really feels like it’s perched on my palm. Wizards are amazing.”
Victor smiled at me without saying anything, looking happy.
Chapter 16: Two-person Journey
As a means of traveling to Conrad-san’s territory, I bought a horse. They said they would buy it back if I need to return to this town.
It was my first time riding a horse, and riding double means our bodies are pressed together. I’m in front, and Victor is behind me, but since I’ve never had physical contact with men, I feel nervous.
We left the inn early in the morning and took breaks every two hours. I roughly estimate the time based on the position of the sun. The horse is calm, and surprisingly, I’m enjoying it.
“Haru, is there something you want to do in this world? If there is, I’ll accompany you.”
“I’m already doing what I want to do. I’m living happily. So don’t worry too much.”
“I see… That’s good, then.”
The horse drinks water from a stream and eats the surrounding grass. It seems there’s a life like this too. It feels like a fairytale world. There’s magic too. But humans… are the same, aren’t they? There are people who harass others and people who are kind. In that case, I’ll live positively as myself. If I can’t go back to the previous world even if I long for it, there’s no choice. I’ll try to see the good things in this world.
“What’s wrong? Lost in thought?”
Victor’s bright brown eyes were looking at me.
“I received some healing ointment from the innkeeper when we left. There are many differences between the previous world and this world, but humans are the same. There are unpleasant people, but there are also good people. Victor, you’re reliable.”
Victor silently looks at the stream.
“If it weren’t for Victor, how difficult my days would have been.”
Victor remains silent. Does he still think the summoning was a success? I suppose it’s better not to touch that subject.
“Oh, right, I should tell you something important. It’s better not to tell anyone that I can see magical power, right?”
“That’s right. Also, I used to be a summoner who worked at the royal castle.”
“And that we’re on the run.”
“That’s right.”
After finishing our break, we get back on the horse.
“Victor.”
“What is it?”
“Thank you, as always.”
Victor doesn’t say anything again.
If I were to speak my true feelings, I would ask, “Are you pushing yourself too hard? Am I a burden?” But asking that would be the same as demanding him to say, “That’s not true.” So I won’t ask.
“What are you thinking?”
“Victor, always prioritize yourself and act accordingly. Don’t push yourself or do anything unreasonable for my sake.”
“No, I have a responsibility for summoning Haru. It’s my duty to protect you.”
“That’s appreciated, but Victor, take care of yourself. By the way, huh? A lot of golden powder is coming out.”
“Where?”
“At the base of that big tree. It’s spurting out from several places.”
“Should we get off?”
“Yeah!”
Thick grass grows around the big tree, and it seems like the magical power of the land is at work. The golden powder gushes out like spring water, and it’s beautiful.
“Victor, sit here.”
“Is it coming out from here?”
“Yeah.”
I also sit down at a spot that could be called a magical power spring rather than a spring water spring. I play with it, catching it in my palm and scooping it up. It feels nice. It’s relaxing.
Suddenly, Victor tenses up. He gestures for me to be quiet.
Rustling sounds of stepping on grass. A monster? Is it a monster? Victor can defeat it with his ice something, right?
“Meow.”
Victor stands up and prepares to cast magic.
“Wait, Victor, it’s a cat, right?”
“A cat?”
As we exchange puzzled looks, a black cat appears.
“See, it’s a cat after all. Come here, Neeko-chan!”
“Haru!”
“Meow.”
“Oh, good kitty. Come here.”
The large black cat purrs and tries to approach me, but it can’t because Victor is holding his sword in a defensive stance.
“Stop it, Victor. It’s a cat!”
“It’s a monster! Can’t you see that?”
“It’s obviously a cat.”
I extend my index finger in front of the black cat. The black cat sniffs it and rubs its puffy whiskered area against it.
“Good kitty. He’s a mean old man, isn’t he? Sorry for scaring you.”
“Who’s the old man? Besides, that thing is a monster!”
I lift the black cat and look up at it with four pairs of eyes. Since Victor has stopped his attacking posture, I hold the cat again and gently stroke its body.
“Hmm?”
Something scratchy is on its back. What is this? When I pinched it with my fingers, I found a thin black feather folded up, like a cicada’s wing.
“Oh… Victor, I’m sorry. It seems it wasn’t a cat after all.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying. Stay away. It’s dangerous.”
“Huh? It seems fine to me.”
“Meow.”
“See?”
The cat-like creature rubs its head against my hand, seeking affection.
“It’s cute, isn’t it?”
“Haru, what are you going to do with a monster?”
“Meow!”
The black cat-like monster protested with a meow.
Chapter 17: Something Like a Cat
“That’s what I’ve been saying all along. That thing is a monster. Put it down immediately.”
“Aww, but it’s cute. It’s mostly a cat, even though it has wings.”
“Stop with the incomprehensible reasoning.”
“Meow.”
“See, it’s telling you not to be angry.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Upon closer inspection, the “cat-like thing” had an injury. Blood was oozing from its left hind leg, around the thigh area. Cats tend to target that area when they fight. I wonder if monsters are the same.
“It’s injured.”
“Meow.”
“Even though it’s a monster, it’s pretending to be cute.”
“Victor, don’t say mean things.”
I gently placed the monster cat, or Neeko-chan, as I called it, on the fountain of golden powder. As I applied the ointment given to me by the innkeeper to its wound, Neeko-chan, who had been tensed up with a thick tail, eventually calmed down and curled up.
“I can’t believe it. I’ve never heard of a monster allowing someone to treat its injuries or becoming attached to a human.”
“Victor has a lot of things he’s never heard of.”
“Only when it comes to Haru.”
“Oh right! I remember something about that.”
“Are you listening to me?”
I rummaged through my backpack and took out a piece of cheese wrapped in paper. I tore off a small piece and offered it to the cat. Sniffing it, the cat then approached my hand and ate it in one bite.
“Neeko-chan, I hope your injury heals quickly. Since you’re all black, I’ll call you Kuro. Kuro!”
“Meow.”
“Oh, good boy, good boy, Kuro.”
Victor was opening and closing his mouth.
“Victor, your expressions are too noisy.”
“Haru, naming it. What are you doing? If you give it food and a name, it will become your familiar, Haru!”
“Huh? Familiar? What’s a familiar? If it’s so easy to have one just by doing this, then TNR here should be a piece of cake.”
“What’s TNR?”
“Oh, um, forget about it. It’s about the previous world.”
“Even though it’s so cute, is it considered a monster in this world? It’s a shame, but I can’t take it with me. Sorry, Kuro. It seems we have to part ways here.”
We took a bit too much time for a break. Victor and I mounted the horses again, bidding farewell to Kuro, who didn’t move and just watched me. Oh well.
After that, as we rode on the horses, there were places in the Sloane territory where golden powder spewed out here and there. Some places emitted a faint magical power, while others had a gentle and continuous flow. There were also places where multiple flows gathered.
“Don’t you feel anything at all?”
“I can sense that the overall area is filled with magical power, but I don’t know where it’s coming from specifically. I would only know if you told me it’s here, Haru.”
“I see. I thought wizards would be sensitive to magical power.”
Victor tilted his head.
“Wizards have a large amount of magical power stored within their bodies. Perhaps they can’t sense a small amount of gentle flow like this.”
“It’s like when you eat a lot of garlic dishes and can’t smell the hidden garlic flavor anymore, something like that.”
Victor made a slightly sad face.
“I don’t want to agree with that analogy, but it’s something like that.”
“But you know, if the whirlwinds are artificial and there are so many places where magical power is flowing, there’s no need to specifically target people with magical power, right? We just need to come here.”
“No, maybe the goals are different?”
Right, maybe the goals are different. Maybe the purpose is not to gather magical power but to take it away from people with magical power.
But my thoughts are based on assumptions upon assumptions, so it’s too vague. Let’s put this idea aside for now.
Instead of going to the lord’s mansion, we decided to stay at an inn.
“We can work and earn money, after all.”
“That’s right. We have no reason to rely on the lord. It’s a free life without being employed by anyone.”
“Yeah, a free life. I’ve always longed for this kind of life, but I never thought it would become a reality.”
As usual, we prioritized affordability and chose a room without meals. When the innkeeper asked us, “What brings you here?” Victor casually replied, “We’re on a trip.” I nodded with a smile.
“Are you newlyweds?”
“Oh, um, yes.”
“Then your room is the corner room on the second floor.”
We were given the key and entered the room. As expected, the beds were placed together tightly. Before unpacking our belongings, we started by rearranging the beds and setting up a rope.
“Now then, Haru, what would you like to do?”
“First, maybe we should go to the market.”
“I like markets.”
“They’re fun. Even in the previous world, when I went on trips, I loved visiting local markets and morning markets. Besides, we might find some business opportunities.”
“That’s true. Alright, let’s go right away.”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
The market there had a relaxed atmosphere, typical of a provincial city, with various shops of different sizes lined up. We entered a modest-looking but crowded restaurant for a meal.
Victor ordered grilled meat and vegetable soup, and bread, while I ordered sautéed fish, soup, and bread. The vegetable soup had a sweet taste. The seasoning of the soup was probably just salt and butter, but it had a rich flavor. We exchanged a little bit of each other’s dishes and enjoyed the deliciousness of both the meat and the fish.
“It’s delicious.”
“It’s tasty.”
“Ah, so happy,” I said, immersed in the deliciousness of the meal.
“Haru, you have a talent for finding joy.”
Victor praised me.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, I’m always impressed. When I’m with a happy Haru, my heart becomes richer.”
“Oh, really? So, what does that mean?”
“It means… when we’re together, it’s fun.”
When I looked at his face, it turned red.
“They say the one who says it is more embarrassed.”
“Sorry.”
“Hehe,” we laughed together while having dinner.
Chapter 18: Architect Cyril Comin
After having a satisfying meal, we came across a small fountain in the square on our way back to the inn. The fountain was spraying water along with golden powder.
As the square began to darken, the golden powder sparkled and stood out, radiating a particularly beautiful glow.
“Victor, this fountain too.”
“Is it flowing?”
“Yes. It’s spraying along with the water. Whoever made this fountain must know about the golden powder. The person who made the fountain should be able to see it, just like the statue of the goddess. I believe there are others who can see it besides me.”
“We have time, let’s investigate.”
“Yes!”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
The next morning, we went to the municipal office first. We asked the receptionist who designed the fountain.
“The person who made the fountain?”
“Yes. Not the one who constructed it, but the one who decided its location.”
The male receptionist at the architectural division of the municipal office looked puzzled.
“I was impressed by the lovely fountain, so I would like to know who made it.”
“I see. Please wait a moment.”
Eventually, the municipal employee returned with documents in hand.
“It’s Cyril Comin-san.”
“Do you know where he lives?”
“What is your business?”
“We were thinking of requesting some work.”
Victor smoothly lied. I nodded in agreement. The staff member said, “Just in case,” and took note of our names before providing us with Cyril-san’s address.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Cyril Comin’s house was located just before the forest of the Sloane territory. There were no other houses around, and it was a small wooden house with a neat and tidy appearance.
As we stood on the roadside, admiring the house, the front door opened, and we were called out to.
“Do you need something?”
“Hello. We came here after seeing the fountain in the square.”
Cyril-san hurriedly approached.
“The fountain in the square? I think it’s just an ordinary fountain with nothing special.”
“Although the design is ordinary, it was spraying golden powder along with the water.”
“Oh, Haru!”
No, I don’t think we should hide it here.
“What? What? What?! I had given up already. To think I would meet someone who can see it in my lifetime. Oh, God. I am grateful!”
Cyril-san, who appeared to be around fifty years old, invited us into the house, pulling us by the hand. Then he asked how the golden powder appeared to us in as much detail as possible.
So, I explained in detail about the golden powder I had seen up until now.
“It’s the same. Exactly the same. I wasn’t going crazy! Ah, I wish I could tell my mother. She worried about me until her dying moments.”
Cyril-san gradually teared up and eventually covered his face with both hands, crying.
“Cyril-san, you’re not going crazy. I can see it clearly. It must have been lonely for you without anyone believing what you saw.”
Nodding in agreement, Cyril-san kept his face covered for a while. I can somewhat understand his feelings. In my case, I was summoned, so Victor believed in me, but I can imagine how anxious I would be if no one around me believed what I saw. I can understand the doubt that arises, questioning if there’s something wrong with oneself.
“I feel like I become energetic when I bathe in that powder, but Cyril-san, have you ever had such an experience?”
Then, Cyril-san laughed and guided us to the backyard.
“Oh…”
In the center of the backyard, there was a small fountain made of assembled stones, and only golden powder was vigorously spouting from its center. With permission, I led Victor to the chair placed next to it. Victor sat quietly as a large amount of golden powder showered over his entire body.
“That’s why I built the house here. Is he sick?”
“Well, something like that.”
“I see. Take your time and bathe in it.”
Once Cyril-san seemed to have calmed down.
“I’ll make some tea.”
He stood up.
“I’ll help too. Victor, stay there. Hey, Cyril-san, have you ever been to the inn called Aura in the capital city?”
Cyril-san was startled again.
Ah, Cyril-san placed it, right? The statue of the goddess.
“I made that shrine.”
“I thought so.”
“I made it so that whenever people pray to the goddess statue, the people at that inn would be showered with the powder. It was almost twenty years ago. The people at the inn were all friendly folks.”
“Modal-san, the current owner, was a good person too. The employees as well.”
“Like father, like son, they say. Ah, sorry, I don’t have any sweets.”
“That’s alright. Tea and conversation are enough.”
Victor sat in the chair with a somewhat ecstatic expression. Even when I said, “The tea is ready,” he replied, “Just a little longer,” and didn’t move. He seemed to be in a state of bliss, as if he were soaking in an open-air bath.
“Is his condition really that bad?”
“He says he’s gotten much better. I’m sorry, I can’t go into too much detail.”
“Don’t worry about that. I too have plenty of things I don’t want to touch.”
That’s right. I feel the same way.
“I feel like I’ve known Cyril-san for a long time, even though I just met him. It’s strange.”
“Me too. It feels like we’ve had a long relationship.”
I want to talk about the whirlwind.
I want to converse with someone who can see.
But what should I do?
“Wait here for a moment,” I declined and ran over to Victor.
“Hey, I want to talk to Cyril-san about the whirlwind. He might know something.”
“Oh, I think that’s fine. He can see it, so there’s no need to hide it.”
“That’s right. That’s right!”
I ran back into the room and sat down in the chair opposite Cyril-san.
“Cyril-san, I have seen a whirlwind that doesn’t create wind at Heartfield twice. One of those times, the lord of this territory was involved. When the whirlwind approaches someone with magical power, golden powder bursts out from their entire body, and that person enters a state of magical deficiency. After that, the whirlwind turns into a golden pillar and rises into the sky, disappearing.”
“That’s a mysterious story. . . But unfortunately, I have never seen such a whirlwind. I’m sorry for not being helpful.”
“I see.”
Conveniently, the mystery isn’t solved yet.
“Hey, can’t we have dinner here tonight? There are still things I want to talk about. You never know what life has in store, so it’s my motto to talk when you can.”
“I’d be delighted! Actually, I was thinking the same thing. Oh, I’ll cook.”
Chapter 19: Salted Pork and Potato Stew with Fake Aquapazza
“You can use anything in the pantry.”
“Thank you. I hope I can make something to your liking.”
I’m cooking dinner in the kitchen. It’s a shame I couldn’t get any information about the whirlwind, but this is my first time cooking in this country. It’s been a while since I cooked, so I’m excited.
There are sweet potatoes that look like regular potatoes when cut, carrots, green onions, garlic, ginger, and meat that looks like pork. Should I make nikujaga (meat and potato stew)? It will be salty, but that’s what I feel like eating.
It seems Cyril-san lives quite comfortably, so I wonder if it’s okay to use the ingredients without hesitation. But let me confirm just in case.
“Cyril-san, how many days’ worth are these ingredients?”
“If they run out, we can buy more. Use them as you like.”
Yeah, he definitely seems wealthy.
There are dried fish and dried clams. They seem salty, but maybe I can rehydrate them with wine and make something like aqua pazza. There were tomato-like plants in the garden too. We have olive oil, and white wine. . .yes, we do.
When Victor returned to the room, he sat there absentmindedly as if he had a stomachache.
Well, I didn’t expect him to help with cooking anyway. He must have been focused on magic all this time. In that regard, Cyril-san, being a professional bachelor, efficiently washed vegetables and discarded peels while watching me cook. He is now making a quick pickled vegetable dish next to me.
I laid out all the dishes I made on the table, opened a bottle of wine, and started the meal.
“It’s delicious. Haru, you’re good at cooking.”
“I love cooking. It’s just simple, everyday dishes made with whatever ingredients are available.”
“It’s tasty. I had no idea, Haru, that you were such a good cook.”
“Huh? Aren’t you two married?”
“Ah.” “Ah.”
“Hahaha, well, it’s fine.”
The three of us enjoyed the meal. The salty meat and potato stew and the aqua pazza-like dish were delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve had familiar dishes.
Cyril-san seemed frustrated, saying that he’s not a wizard, “If I were a wizard, I would have been believed about the gold dust.”
To comfort him, I brought up various fun topics with the inn’s Aura companions. Cyril-san and Victor laughed as well. It was fun, and as I kept refilling my wine glass, I got quite drunk. Being drunk made me talkative.
“Oh, by the way, are there mice in this world?”
It fell silent.
“This world? What do you mean?”
“I mean in this country.”
“This country? Haru, are you from a foreign country? Which country?”
Victor silently ate his meat and potatoes. He must be desperately thinking about how to cover it up.
Did I anger him with my foolishness? I couldn’t say anything because I don’t know the names of any other countries. If Cyril-san asks me about other countries, I’ll only dig myself into a deeper hole.
“It seems like you two are carrying a lot of secrets.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it. If you knew, it might cause trouble for you too. Oh, I’m not a criminal, so you don’t have to worry about that. In fact, we are the victims.”
“Oh, okay, okay. I had a pleasant dinner with two friendly travelers.”
He said that.
Then Cyril-san suddenly had a mischievous look on his face.
“Speaking of which, mice, right? They exist. They can be quite troublesome.”
“Which animal that can get rid of them is the most helpful?”
“Probably a house lizard, right?”
“Y-Yes, a house lizard. Of course.”
At that moment, Victor let out a sigh.
“Cyril-san, please stop teasing Haru.”
“Huh?”
What does he mean? I looked at Cyril-san in surprise, and he shrugged his shoulders like a scolded child. Victor explained it to me.
“Haru, there are no animals like house lizards here. Cats are the ones that get rid of mice.”
“R-Right, cats. I meant cats.”
Cyril-san, looking a little down, suddenly bowed his head.
“I got carried away. I’m sorry. It was just so much fun. Since I was a child, I’ve always been called a liar or crazy because of the gold magic. It made me become misanthropic. I’ve lived without interacting with people except for work. It feels like I’ve made friends for the first time, and I got too excited. Can you forgive me?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’m having a good time too. Besides, Cyril-san seems trustworthy.”
Victor let out a light sigh.
“I’m teasing Haru, but even I’m worried when I see how kind-hearted she is.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Huh? Is that so? Am I causing trouble?”
Victor chuckled and shook his head.
“Being with Haru makes every day exciting and enjoyable. Everything about you, including your kind-heartedness, feels fresh to me. I never knew there was someone like you.”
“Even though I’m a little drunk and can’t fully understand, it seems like I’m being praised a lot?”
Cyril-san and Victor burst out laughing at the same time. I don’t really understand, but it seems fun, so it’s fine.
“Well, um, I feel bad for not saying anything even though I noticed, but Victor, you’re a wizard, right? When you were exposed to the earth’s magic, the movement of the gold dust in your body was slightly different from that of non-magic users. It followed the pattern of someone with magic.”
“You noticed, huh? Yes, I am a wizard. I’ve had various things happen at work, and now I’m unemployed. But, this life is quite enjoyable. Thanks to Haru.”
“It’s fun, right? Hey, Victor, show that blue bird again. Wizards are amazing, aren’t they? They can summon a bird whenever they feel lonely. I wish I could freely summon Kuro too. I miss Kuro.”
Victor’s face suddenly lit up, and at the same time, there was a meow at our feet.
“Kuro! Are you here? How long have you been here? Wait, where did you come in from?”
“Nyaan.”
Cyril-san stood up with a clatter of the chair and held a bottle of wine in his hand. Kuro wrinkled his nose at it and let out a small “hiss.”
“No, no! This little one is friendly with me! Don’t be rough with him!”
“Friends? With a monster? You’ll be devoured, Haru.”
“They really are friends, Cyril-san, so it’s okay.”
Cyril-san put down the bottle, but he didn’t sit back down. He kept repeating, seemingly unable to believe it, “Friends with a monster?”
“I didn’t know the rules between monsters and humans. I accidentally formed a contract with him.”
“I don’t understand. Won’t that cause harm?”
“No, because we’re friends. Right, Kuro?”
“Nya.”
Kuro hopped onto my lap. I gently held him and stroked his back and throat. He was considerably larger than an ordinary house cat. He must weigh around seven or eight kilograms. He purred contentedly, seeming satisfied. The injury on his hind leg that had been twitching was starting to dry up. That’s a relief.
“He’s affectionate… Unbelievable things keep happening today.”
“When you’re with Haru, there’s never a dull moment.”
Cyril-san stared at Kuro.
“Haru, um, can I touch that monster too?”
“I’m not sure. Kuro, can you let Cyril-san touch you?”
“Nya.”
“It seems to be okay.”
Cyril-san tentatively touched Kuro. I held Kuro in my arms to reassure him.
Cyril-san touched Kuro with just his fingertips, in a cautious posture. Kuro closed his eyes and didn’t move.
“It’s my first time touching a monster, but it’s definitely alive.”
“He’s cute, isn’t he?”
“W-Well, I’m not sure if he’s cute or not. How did you become friends with a monster?”
How did it happen? What was it?
“He was cute, and he immediately became attached to me.”
“Cute… Weren’t you scared?”
“No.”
Finally, Cyril-san sat back in his chair. Victor admonished me.
“Haru, once you form a master-servant contract with a monster, if the master wishes, it will come running no matter where or when. So, from now on, don’t say things like ‘I want to see Kuro’ in public.”
“I see. I didn’t know.”
“If someone attacks you out of surprise, Kuro will have no choice but to retaliate. It’s better to be cautious for Kuro’s sake.”
“I understand. I’ll be careful.”
Kuro remained calm on my lap. Two men took care of the dishes, saying, “We’ll do the dishes.” I enjoyed petting Kuro.
After the kitchen was cleaned up, I said, “Kuro, you can go back now.” Kuro disappeared from my lap in an instant.
“Well, we should be heading back soon.”
“Yeah. Cyril-san, thank you for welcoming us so suddenly.”
Cyril-san frowned and made a hesitant suggestion.
“I don’t want to pry, but if Victor has any physical issues as a wizard, would you like to stay at my house until it gets better? You can bathe in that as much as you want.”
Victor hesitated for a moment but answered,
“Thank you. I would appreciate it if you could allow me to do so.”
I nodded vigorously.
“That’s great. I never thought I would have such a fun time at my age. It’s unbearable to say goodbye like this. Thank you too.”
“That’s good to hear, Victor. Thank you, Cyril-san. Well, we’ll return to the inn tonight, but we’ll come back with our luggage tomorrow. Goodnight. And thank you.”
“Ah, goodnight. Have sweet dreams.”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
On the way back.
“There’s something I want to ask you, Victor.”
“What is it?”
“Even if you couldn’t work as a summoner anymore, why did the higher-ups kick you out? Couldn’t they have kept you employed at the royal palace?”
“Oh, that. . . I think it’s because I was disliked by the Prime Minister, Benedict Farrar. He was also a summoner.”
“Was?”
“Until I was assigned as a summoner at the age of fifteen, Benedict was the top summoner at the royal palace. At that time, Benedict was in his forties, just barely hanging on as a summoner.”
The horse was walking slowly. The night breeze felt pleasant.
“There were no plans for summoning at the time, but I, a newcomer, ended up taking the position of the top summoner through the ability assessment. Benedict had disliked me from the beginning.”
“Oh, is it jealousy?”
“Maybe it was especially infuriating because I was just a teenager.”
Oh? If that’s the case, then now that Victor is gone, is the Prime Minister back as the top summoner?
“Summoning from another world requires a tremendous amount of magical power. The Prime Minister is already fifty years old. His peak as a summoner has long passed. He can no longer fulfill the role of a summoner.”
“I see.”
“Since I took away the position of the top summoner from Benedict, who was just young at the time, he changed his goal to obtaining the position of Prime Minister. He must have struggled a lot to surpass numerous rivals and become the Prime Minister.”
“Yeah.”
“After finally becoming the Prime Minister, I failed when I summoned you to prevent a great disaster in the kingdom. Summoning failure is a big blow to his position as the Prime Minister. I have tarnished Benedict’s reputation twice. It’s natural for him to want to get rid of me.”
“But it’s not anyone’s fault.”
“Human emotions don’t follow logic.”
I gently patted Victor’s arm with the reins of the horse. I felt like being kind to him.
Chapter 21: Visionary wizard Pauline’s pride
In a room within the royal castle, the visionary wizard Pauline Lane was deeply troubled.
Having been recognized for her exceptional talent in divination magic, she had served in the royal castle for nearly twenty years. Until her thirties, she had never experienced such anguish in her divination work.
Previously, she had been able to rely on divination to predict things like crop yields, the extent of seasonal colds, or the amount of summer rainfall.
While those were important matters, this time was different. She had foreseen a catastrophic disaster that threatened the very existence of the kingdom.
At first, she thought it might be a mistake and repeated the divination multiple times, but each time the result was the same: “A great disaster will occur.” Unable to keep it to herself, she reported it to Brent Baynes, the captain of the wizard corps. And from there, Pauline’s life underwent a drastic change.
“Provide more detailed divinations.”
“Foresee a solution.”
“When will it happen exactly?”
“Is there any way to prevent the great disaster?”
The male wizards, skilled in offensive magic, bombarded her with various demands. Although they addressed her as “divination master” out of traditional respect, she knew they looked down on divination wizards as mere observers who ultimately relied on them for action.
(These guys may be skilled in offensive magic, but they don’t understand divination at all), Pauline became angry. However, as a timid person, she couldn’t voice her complaints. Behind her thick-lensed glasses, she blinked and looked down, barely managing to respond, “I will try divining again.”
Tying back her tightly curled red hair and adjusting her glasses that had slipped down, Pauline repeated her divinations every day.
The future she divined was interconnected with various events, much like a knitting pattern spread across a long corridor.
If she knew the specific time and place, divination was relatively easy. By specifying the number of stitches, she could accurately predict the pattern and colors of the knitting at that point.
However, half a year ago, when she divined without specifying a time, she saw that the “future of the kingdom” on the carpet-like knitting had become tattered and interrupted.
How far into the future it extended was not something she could grasp overnight. She had to diligently count the stitches. Yet, the male wizards, who prioritized offensive magic, would demand, “It’s more than a year away.” And when she asked for the exact date, they would snap, “Pinpoint it!”
While engaged in the painstaking task of counting stitches, they would ask about solutions. When she inquired which divination should take priority, they would say, “Do both, and do it quickly.”
(How can I do both at once? Idiots! I asked them to hire a divination wizard to succeed me, but they prioritized hiring their fellow offensive magic users. Thanks to them, I have to do everything alone!)
While cursing inwardly, Pauline continued her divinations diligently. Although she couldn’t predict the specific disaster that would occur, she deduced that summoning a person who could save them was the key.
However, here’s the thing.
Victor, who had been hailed as the greatest summoner in the past few decades, had summoned a woman without any magical power.
Woodywa-sama, the kingdom’s top appraiser, had asserted this, so there was no doubt that she had no magical power. The disappointment of the important men was immense, but Pauline’s divination results were different.
Although it was supposed to be a failed summoning of a saint, from that day on, two futures were born in this country: the prosperous Kingdom of Kholdar and the devastated Kingdom of Kholdar, where people suffered.
Unable to comprehend what was happening, Pauline hesitated to immediately inform the Prime Minister.
While she was lost in her thoughts, she heard that “the young woman who was summoned was kicked out of the castle while still in her rags.” The one who informed her was Sandy, a girl who worked directly under Pauline. She was close to Sherry, who took care of the saint.
“W-What? They kicked her out? Even though Victor summoned her with all his magical power?”
“Yes. While Victor-sama was unconscious and bedridden. Moreover, Victor-sama has been forced to retire. Officially, it’s said that he fell ill, but everyone says he was held responsible for the failed summoning. Now, another summoner is attempting the summoning, but it doesn’t seem to be going well.”
Pauline was impressed by Sandy’s ability to gather information.
“Why did they rush things like that? Those fools!”
“Pauline-sama?”
Considering the information she had just heard, if she performed divination again, one of the two futures—the devastated and tragic one—became slightly clearer, while the prosperous future appeared somewhat hazy.
“This can’t go on like this. The summoning was indeed a success. They shouldn’t have kicked her out!”
Pauline rushed to Captain Brent Baynes and reported about the two futures, but it seemed that Brent considered her divination to be incomplete.
“Until it becomes clear which one is correct, you must not speak to anyone about the two futures. We cannot further confuse the higher-ups.”
He said.
Her plea that it was an unstable future where it was unclear which path it would take was rejected. Brent had a very tired expression on his face.
Pauline Lane was perplexed.
“What should I do? If things continue like this, the country will be devastated by a great disaster.”
If she went against her superior Brent’s judgment, she might lose her position. However, Pauline had lived her life faithfully, relying on her divination abilities. The fact that she had never been wrong in her divinations since childhood supported her spirit.
Now, if she pretended not to have seen the future that only she knew, she felt it would trample on her own pride.
“Even if I’m ridiculed and looked down upon, I have lived with pride in my divination.”
After thinking for a while, Pauline resolved to find a way to locate the woman who had been summoned and abandoned, Haru Ayukawa.
Chapter 22: Pauline’s exploration journey
“I want to take a little vacation. I’m too tired to work.”
Brent, who was earnestly pleaded by Pauline, readily gave permission. He judged that it would prevent chaos in the royal castle to let her rest rather than fussing over the two futures.
“You haven’t rested much. Take some time to relax. If the major disaster is still a year away, it’s fine to take a break. The rest is what we should strive for.”
At that moment, Brent was called by the Prime Minister and was in a hurry, so he carelessly neglected to confirm how many days she intended to take off. Without examining the contents of the documents, he waved his hand and magically wrote his name on the application form.
“Thank you so much!” Pauline replied and quickly left the room before Brent could say anything. Once she was in the hallway, she tightly clenched her hands and rejoiced.
“Requesting a twenty-year worth of vacation?”
“Actually, it’s nineteen years and eight months.”
Jim Byrd, the head of the General Affairs Department, looked at Pauline with an exasperated expression.
“I have been working without taking a break, filled with gratitude since I obtained this position. Day after day, I have been foreseeing and fulfilling everyone’s requests. I believe I am more than qualified to take a vacation, don’t you think?”
“You probably haven’t been that busy with your foresight until now.”
“Huh? If that’s the case, then the attack magic users who only have a role once every few decades for monster extermination or war must have a lot of free time, right?”
“Shh. Don’t speak so loudly. Don’t criticize the attack unit.”
“Well, if that’s the case, please grant me a vacation to show appreciation for the hardworking foresight wizard.”
“You’re using ‘[if that’s the case]’ incorrectly.”
Although she was scolded, Pauline obtained her vacation. It was a hundred days worth of accumulated leave. She wrote down all the results of her regular foresight, which would be necessary for the apprentice girl, on paper and handed it over.
“The weather and common colds are not a problem. So, just relax.”
Pauline conveyed only that to the anxious girl and set off on a journey to find Haru Ayukawa. First, she foresaw “Haru Ayukawa’s schedule for tomorrow” and saw that she was drinking tea somewhere in the countryside.
First, she approached Sherry, who had served as Haru’s maid. They might not have made a mistake in summoning her. When she mentioned that she wanted to find her, Sherry expressed her indignation, saying, “The treatment she received was not good,” and told her about her family.
“They summoned her for their convenience, and the important people didn’t even give her a single coin. They just threw Haru-sama into the capital without any spare clothes.” Hearing this, Pauline’s heart ached. She was involved in her summoning as well.
She immediately visited the inn called Aura, and the people there were also indignant. They said that Haru, along with Victor whom she happened to meet, hurriedly went somewhere.
Haru is not alone. She is with Victor, who knows this country. Pauline doesn’t know why they are together, but Victor is a serious man. She believes that he will protect her, and the pain in her heart eases a little.
“If only I could see a view that could help me identify a specific location.”
For now, Pauline decided to secure a room at Aura and focus on finding Haru.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
I set up another chair near the golden fountain in Cyril family’s backyard and relaxed with Victor.
“How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good. If this works so well on the body, I want to teach it to others too.”
“Victor, you’re kind.”
“I’m not kind. How about you, Haru? Cyril-san said this works even on people without magic.”
“It works. The coldness in my feet disappeared, and I don’t have any shoulder stiffness. I feel a surge of energy throughout my body. I’m overflowing with vitality, so I want to work again.”
Victor stretched his back with a smile.
“Shall we open an ice cream shop again?”
“I want to. I want to create various seasonal flavors.”
I talked to Cyril-san about wanting to open an ice cream shop in town. First, I explained what gelato was. Cyril-san enthusiastically said, “Let’s make a stall.” He started working on converting the unused carriage into an ice cream shop. He was indeed an architect. I was delighted by the idea of mobile gelato sales.
He said the carriage modification could be done in a day or two, so we decided to go to the city to buy materials. We rode on a horse together and headed for the bustling streets of the Sloane territory.
We quickly bought milk, sugar, and various fruits.
Even though I had enough money in my wallet from the previous business, Victor insisted on paying the full amount. I managed to get him to pay half. I asked him to deliver the goods to Cyril-san’s house and finished shopping.
“Shall we have tea before we go?”
“Sure!”
We entered a shop together and enjoyed the fragrant tea and sweet cakes.
“I think we should inform Cyril-san that we might suddenly disappear while relying on his hospitality.”
“Yeah, I think so too. But Victor, you’re a decent person from this country. You don’t need to live an unsettled life just to accommodate me. I believe I can live on my own, even if I’m alone.”
“Huh…”
“So, don’t hold back because of me. If you have something you want to do, prioritize yourself.”
“Oh, I see.”
Victor suddenly became sullen.
“It’s not like that. I’m worried about you.”
“I see.”
I couldn’t convey my feelings well. They didn’t get across. It was difficult to put feelings into words. That was something that happened often in my previous world.
“I’m happy to be with you, Victor. Do you understand that?”
Victor didn’t reply.
“Enough.”
I nostalgically thought that my younger brother would sulk for a long time.
During the night, we loaded the gelato that had been made and chilled into the carriage and headed towards the bustling downtown area of Sloane territory.
“Haru, should I chill it to the usual softness?”
“Yeah, that would be helpful. If it weren’t for Victor, we wouldn’t have been able to open the gelato shop.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
Oh, Victor is still in a bad mood.
I remember my younger brothers going through something similar. When I was entering university, I considered the tuition fees for my two younger brothers and chose a lower-ranked university in a rural area where the tuition and living expenses would be cheaper.
“Why? Didn’t you want to go to that university? Why did you choose that one? Is it because of us? Did you sacrifice for us?”
I’m sure my brothers felt like they were being given undesired charity. But that’s not true. I acted according to my own desires. At that time, I entered the university dormitory without saying anything and ended up living alone as a working adult. . . And now, I’ve come to this world without resolving the misunderstanding.
Regret, like a swallowed stone, lingers in my heart and pricks at me.
“Victor, there’s something I want to talk to you about tonight.”
“Understood.”
So, despite the awkward start, once we paid the registration fee at the municipal office and obtained permission, the gelato shop in Sloane territory began to thrive. It became popular.
“Welcome! How about some gelato? Miss over there, would you like to taste it? It’s cold, sweet, and delicious!”
Since I don’t know anyone here anyway, I have no problem calling out loudly to attract customers.
“Today we have milk flavor, apple flavor, and wild strawberry flavor! Sir over there, why not try a taste?”
It seems that taste-testing is not a common practice in this world. Everyone comes over asking, “Can I taste it?” and after taking a bite, most people end up buying. When I offer them the small round chairs we brought on the carriage, they sit down and enjoy their gelato. The people eating become a magnet, attracting more customers.
Double servings and triple servings sell rapidly. Since the sunny spots are warm enough to make you sweat, the cold gelato, which can only be made using magic, is well-received.
“We also have hot tea!”
This was Cyril-san’s advice after he tried the gelato.
“I always crave a hot drink after eating something cold,” he said. So I prepared it. It’s good for rinsing the sweet taste from the mouth after eating gelato. The tea also sells well.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
After having dinner with Cyril-san and the others, we returned to our room. Victor had a stiff expression and avoided eye contact.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
“I want to clear up Victor’s misunderstanding. You see, in my previous world, my younger brothers misunderstood me, and it’s sad that I can’t resolve that misunderstanding. So, in this world, I don’t want to be misunderstood.”
“Are you saying that I’m misunderstanding you?”
“I didn’t tell Victor to do whatever he wants just because I met Cyril-san. It’s because it would be painful for me if you had to restrain yourself for my sake. I wanted you to act as you please.”
Victor remained silent for a while, but finally, he spoke up.
“At first, I wanted to make it up to Haru. I felt sorry for summoning you. At the same time, I also wanted Haru to help this country. Those two feelings still exist within me. And now, being with Haru is enjoyable. It feels like having a family. When my mother passed away, I was only six years old, and since then, I’ve been struggling just to survive.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve always thought that I won’t lose to anyone with magic, that I won’t let anyone hold me back. Haru, who worries about my body and sees me as a regular human rather than a wizard, is like a mother figure to me, the first one since my mother.”
“I understand. From now on, you can call me Haru-oneechan.”
When I jokingly blinked my eyes, Victor laughed.
“Stop it! I’m not calling you onee-chan. But, I’m sorry. I got a little upset with Haru for not relying on me. It made me think that you can live without me. Since I was fired from my job at the castle, I’ve been saved by Haru, and yet. . . I was the one being selfish. I’m sorry.”
“Can we get along again starting tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Let’s get along.”
“And can you help me chill the gelato again?”
“Yeah. Rely on me a little.”
After that, Victor, who seemed relieved, slept behind the sheet curtain, and there was no sound of him moving.
As for me. . . Victor’s words of “I want you to save this country” kept swirling in my mind. He still believes that the summoning he did was a success.
Me, saving this country from a major disaster? That’s impossible.
I want to get along with Victor, but if there comes a day when we have to go our separate ways, I think this matter will be the cause.
What kind of major disaster is there in this country?
What should I do?
I suddenly remembered the words of the Prime Minister. He called me without permission and then called me useless and threw me away. The people in the royal castle didn’t stop him. The empty state of the room prepared for me. These people are so selfish, it’s laughable.
I have no intention of risking my life for people like them.
But what about for Sherry-san?
For the inn staff at Aura?
For Cyril-san?
For the old couple at the Swingbird Inn?
Can I live without regret if I abandon them?
Can they even survive a major disaster?
I couldn’t answer that right now. I couldn’t sleep easily, so I quietly called Kuro.
“Kuro, are you here?”
“Nya.”
I felt a weight around my stomach as I lay on my side. When I looked, Kuro was there.
“Will a major disaster happen in this country?”
“Nya.”
“Do you know about it, Kuro?”
“Nya.”
There’s no point in asking a demon cat, huh?
“Can I handle it on my own?”
“Nyamunya.”
“Can I handle it if I’m with Victor?”
“Nyamunya.”
“I can’t do my best for the people in the castle.”
“Nya.”
It’s just a coincidence that the meows sound different, right?
“Kuro, please help me when I’m in trouble, okay?”
“Nya.”
“Kuro, aren’t you hungry?”
“Nyamunya.”
“I’ll make something for you next time.”
“Nya.”
As I held Kuro and gently stroked its smooth fur, I fell asleep.
Chapter 24: A Beautiful Person Came
It was a day that had passed almost a month since we started selling gelato in the Sloane territory. As we were tidying up to go home, a completely unfamiliar person came to our place.
“Haru-sama, Victor!”
She was a beautiful woman with red hair and glasses. I had no recollection of ever seeing her before, but she seemed to know me.
“Um, who are you?”
“Haru, I’m surprised too, but this is the visionary wizard Pauline Lane.”
“I’m Pauline. Nice to meet you, Haru-sama. It’s been a while, Victor.”
Pauline-san had calm red hair, green eyes, and thick glasses. Her face was fair with beautiful features and clear eyes.
“I’ve been searching. I’ve been doing visions every day.”
“Pauline-san used magic to find this place. It’s amazing magic.”
Pauline-san coughed lightly.
“I knew you were selling gelato from the first day, but it took me a while to pinpoint the location.”
She confessed shyly.
“So, why did Pauline come here? What about your work?”
“I took a day off. I really wanted to persuade Haru-sama.”
I probably had a strained expression. After all, the topic of summoning was still very much alive in my mind.
Victor looked a little troubled as he glanced at me and Pauline-san. Sorry for putting you in a difficult position.
“Pauline, the great calamity is still more than a year away, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. We have a year to prepare. But that’s not all. It’s about Haru-sama. . .”
“Please call me Haru.”
Pauline-san blinked a few times and then continued speaking.
“Since Haru arrived, the future of this country has split into two. A prosperous future and a devastated one. I think it depends on Haru’s actions how the future of this country will turn out. But then I heard those idiots drove Haru away. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I escaped from the castle.”
Victor and Pauline-san looked at me. No, no, that’s impossible.
“Um, as you know, I don’t have any magical powers. Even if there are earthquakes, typhoons, or monster rampages, I can’t do anything.”
Victor took my hand. What is it? What is it!
“Pauline, who excels in visionary magic, has come all the way here, and I don’t think the summoning was a failure. Sorry, but can I tell her your abilities?”
“Sure, but I won’t accept being called a saint.”
“That’s fine. Pauline, Haru can see magical powers. And she can nullify my attacks.”
Pauline-san delicately covered her mouth with both hands and widened her eyes.
“Victor was skilled not only in summoning but also in all types of magic. Nullifying that?”
“Haru, can you demonstrate it later?”
“Um. . .”
I gave in to their enthusiasm and said “um,” but if I were to show that, it would surely cause a commotion.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Pauline-san came with us to Cyril-san’s house. She seemed excited. Cyril-san, on the other hand, changed into a slightly stylish shirt and brought out wine, perhaps because a beautiful lady had come.
“Cyril-san, I’ll take care of something before preparing dinner.”
I said that and the three of us headed to the backyard. Cyril-san followed with a wine glass in hand. Of course, he wants to see. He wants to know what we’re doing in his backyard.
“Alright, Haru, let’s do it.”
Saying that, Victor unleashed ice lances one after another towards me. Pauline-san screamed in surprise, and Cyril-san shouted in anger.
Of course, the ice lances disappeared without harming me. Understanding that, Pauline-san said, “So that’s Victor’s magic limitation, being able to nullify my attacks too, I want to know,” with a hint of fear.
“Please go ahead. I think it’ll be fine. Also, I’m not consciously blocking them. They just disappear on their own.”
“Is that so? Then, then. . . Ah, it’s impossible to aim at a person after all!”
Pauline-san collapsed. Then Victor said, “Alright, watch this. Pauline was planning to use fire magic, right?” and threw a fireball at me. The fireball disappeared in an instant, surprising Pauline-san.
“It disappeared. . . Then I’ll. . . Fireball!”
A smaller and slower fireball than Victor disappeared in front of me. So, I can nullify anyone’s magic. I see.
“Wait, let me sit down. It was too stimulating for me.”
In a hurry, Victor and I supported Cyril-san from both sides and entered the house. And while we were at it, I called Kuro.
As soon as Pauline-san saw Kuro appear, she screamed, “Gyaaa!” and tried to use some kind of magic, but Victor had already prepared and stopped her from behind.
While she calmed down, I prepared dinner.
That night, we had garlic ginger stir-fried lean meat, tomato and leafy green salad, and soup with beans and milk. Kuro sat at my feet the whole time.
“Why does it feel like my mother’s cooking even though I’ve never eaten this dish before?”
Pauline-san, who was still in an excited state, and Cyril-san, who elegantly poured wine for her. Their attitude towards me was completely different. It was so different that it was refreshing.
That night, Pauline-san, who had been excited by various things, got quite drunk.
“My visions were not wrong! Haru-sama is indeed the Saint-sama! Take that, Prime Minister! You’re so focused on your own agenda that you can’t see the truth of the Saint-sama! Idiot, idiot!”
She repeated that over and over. Perhaps Kuro found her too noisy, as he had disappeared without me noticing.
Eventually, Cyril-san went to his room, and Victor and I laid Pauline-san in the other guest room before going to the backyard and sipping wine while standing under the golden fountain.
“It was quite noisy, sorry about that.”
“Victor, you don’t have to apologize. Pauline-san seems like a nice person.”
“She is.”
“But she called me a saint in front of Cyril-san.”
“I think Cyril-san noticed but pretended not to. His eyes seemed a little unfocused.”
“Yeah, I felt the same way. He seemed a bit distracted.”
“Well, what’s been said can’t be unsaid. It was my mistake for not silencing her.”
“But still, even though I can nullify magic and summon Kuro, I can’t imagine that I can save the country. You know, Victor.”
“Hmm?”
“If it’s for you, Cyril-san, the Aura, and everyone who has been kind to me, and if it’s something I have to do, I might be willing to risk my life. Lately, I’ve been thinking that way. It’s really scary, though. But I don’t want to work hard for the important people in the castle.”
“Yeah. . . I understand. But I won’t let Haru do anything dangerous alone. If we have to fight something, I’ll be with you. I’ll protect you with all my might.”
Saying that, Victor ruffled my head and entered the house.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Seven months remained until the major disaster that Pauline foresaw.
Chapter 25: We are not doing business tomorrow
From the next day, the three of us decided to sell gelato. After tasting it, Pauline-san exclaimed,
“I have quite a bit of money! I want to buy it all and eat it!”
But even if she’s a wizard, doing that would definitely upset her stomach.
“Pauline, let’s sell it, all together.”
Consoled by Victor, she reluctantly joined us in selling.
“How about some gelato? Today we have milk, strawberry, and tea flavors! Feel free to taste! We also have hot tea!”
Gelato had become well-established in this town. Some people brought large containers to take it home. Victor would chill it and hand it over to those taking it home from a position where he couldn’t be seen. He’s quite clever.
Eventually, when the gelato sold out and only the tea was selling little by little.
“This is strange. Even though this gelato shop is so popular, we won’t be doing business here tomorrow.”
Pauline-san started to say.
“Pauline, did you foresee tomorrow?”
“Why, yes. Since Haru was summoned based on my foresight, I am responsible for Haru. I will foresee the next day every day.”
Pauline-san is a serious person.
“Thank you, Pauline-san.”
“No need for thanks. I take pride in my foresight, so I will see it through to the end.”
“The end. . .”
I wonder what will happen at the end of the summoning and the great disaster problem. It only fills me with anxiety.
“Haru, what’s wrong? You suddenly seem down.”
“Really? It’s nothing.”
“If you have any worries, tell me.”
“It’s okay. Victor is the worrier.”
I noticed that Pauline-san was looking at us with an indescribable expression.
“Huh? What is it?”
“You two make a good team.”
“I-Is that so?”
“You make a good team. It’s nice to have a partner like that. I wanted someone like that too. I’ve carelessly lived in the royal castle for twenty years, always focused on foresight, and now I’ve become an old lady.”
Pauline-san looked distant. Wait, did she just say “old lady”?
“You’re calling yourself an old lady! Pauline, you’re a stunning beauty. If you set your mind to it, you can find as many suitors as you want. In my country, it’s normal to get married after turning thirty.”
“Huh? In this country, it’s not uncommon to have grandchildren at my age. I want to be summoned to your country. The age of the person doesn’t matter. As long as they’re kind.”
This country must have early marriages, but it’s not unusual to have grandchildren in your thirties. I see. I’m still unmarried at twenty-five.
“If Pauline came to my country, I think men would flock to her so much that she would have to wade through them.”
“That sounds wonderful. . .”
Having sold out for the day, we were riding in the carriage towards Cyril-san’s house, joking around.
“Hey, Haru, Cyril-san is a wonderful person, isn’t he?”
“Pauline? Could it be. . .”
“I’ve thought he was a wonderful person since the first time I saw him. But my hair is like this.”
“Your hair is lovely!”
“But I’m wearing thick glasses.”
I can’t take it anymore! I want this person to notice her own charm.
“Glasses don’t matter! You’re a wonderful woman. Why do you belittle yourself so much? If I had your beauty, I would confidently approach men.”
For some reason, Pauline-san looked at me with dreamy eyes.
“What is it?”
“You’re truly a kind person.”
“I know that. But what I just said, it’s true.”
“Do you think I still have charm as a woman?”
“I think so! You’re truly lovely. In fact, you’re in your prime. Cyril-san, too, is always looking at Pauline. Right, Victor?”
Victor panicked.
“Don’t bring me into this.”
“Oh, come on. You know, when Cyril-san talks to Pauline, he tries to act cool just a little bit. I think he’s interested in you.”
Pauline put both hands on her cheeks and blushed.
During dinner that night, Cyril-san and Pauline were engrossed in talking about some board game they used to play. Victor and I quickly finished eating and went to the backyard to bask in the golden fountain, so as not to disturb them.
“It would be nice if the two of them could get along.”
“Yeah.”
“Although there’s a bit of an age difference, Pauline seems to match well with someone reliable like Cyril-san.”
“Yeah.”
Victor seemed absent-minded.
“What’s wrong?”
“Does Haru really want to aggressively pursue men?”
“If I were that beautiful, maybe.”
“Even now, you’re plenty cute.”
Something feels off. What’s wrong with Victor?
“…I don’t need reassurance.”
“I’m not reassuring you. It’s the truth. Do you want to become someone who confidently pushes through and approaches men?”
Huh? What are you getting caught up on?
“I guess I don’t need to be that assertive. If I can find someone I can get along with like my adoptive parents who raised me, that’s enough for me.”
“An adoptive parents raised you?”
“Yeah. My birth parents couldn’t raise me, so I was put in a facility. Then I was adopted by parents who were struggling because they couldn’t have children. But as soon as I was adopted, my two younger brothers were born one after another. It seems that kind of thing happens quite often.”
Victor’s face looked concerned.
“Um, were you ever treated differently because of your brothers?”
“No, not at all. I was called the lucky charm that attracted my brothers. They took good care of me.”
“They sound like good parents.”
“Yes, they really are. But my brothers were always worried that I was holding back because of them.”
“Are you close with your brothers?”
“Yes. I told them that I wasn’t holding back at all and invited them to my room to properly convey that. But that day, I ended up coming to this world, so I couldn’t tell them in the end.”
Victor lowered his gaze.
“I’m sorry. I will research how to send you back to your original world so that Haru can definitely return. . .”
“Thank you. But I’ve come to like this world, so there’s no need to apologize.”
“I see.”
“Yeah! Every world is livable if you make it your own.”
The golden fountain continued to gently shower us with its kindness as we talked. It felt so pleasant and enjoyable that I completely forgot that Pauline-san had said, “We’re not doing business tomorrow.”
Chapter 26: Pauline-san’s foresight never fails
The three of us were preparing for gelato sales in the square.
Victor infused magic into an empty stone tablet, while Pauline-san used gentle wind magic to quietly remove fallen leaves and dust around the carriage. I was setting up signs and chairs around the carriage.
“Haru, the stone tablet is fully charged. Gelato will be safe even without me watching over it all morning.”
“Haru, I’m done cleaning.”
“Thank you, both of you. Now we just have to wait for customers. . .”
My voice trailed off, and both of them turned to me with puzzled expressions. They noticed that I was fixated on something, and tension ran through Victor’s body.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just listen to me, both of you. It’s coming.”
“A whirlwind? Where?”
“Right now, at the entrance to the square behind you. It’s slowly heading this way.”
Pauline-san started to panic.
Oh no! She doesn’t know about whirlwinds!
“Pauline, calm down and listen to me. Head towards the entrance, making a wide right turn. Don’t run straight. I’ll go to the left. There’s probably someone using magic near the entrance. Let’s catch them together.”
“I don’t really understand, but I just need to catch them, right?”
“What should I do?”
“Haru, keep an eye on the whirlwind’s movement. If the course changes, shout so we can hear.”
“Got it.”
“Pauline, let’s go!”
“Yes!”
The two of them started running vigorously. Victor with incredible speed, and, well. . . Pauline-san, who seemed to be running at a jog even though she was giving it her all. Uh-oh. She’s slow. What if she gets caught?
My worries came true.
The whirlwind changed direction and started heading towards Pauline-san.
“Pauline! You’re being targeted! Run away!”
“Which way?”
“Come back towards me!”
Pauline-san quickly changed direction.
Victor continued to sprint towards the entrance.
No good. Pauline-san is being caught up. I dashed towards the whirlwind. I can dispel the whirlwind. I lifted the skirt of my dress, which reached below my knees, and ran with my legs exposed. It’s been a while since I ran with all my might, not since college, no, high school physical education class.
“Damn it! Disappear!”
I rammed into the whirlwind, which was about to catch up to Pauline-san, and swung my arms. The swirling whirlwind had almost absorbed Pauline-san’s magic, but it scattered and disappeared.
“Haru, are you okay?”
“Haa, haa, haa. . . I’m. . . haa, okay. . . haa.”
I was out of breath and ended up squatting on the ground.
“What about Victor?”
“Oh, he’s back. It seems like it didn’t work.”
Victor returned, looking frustrated, and said, “They got away.”
“Did you see them?”
“Pauline, I’m glad you’re safe. I saw them. It was a pair of boys. If I had attacked, I could have defeated them, but I hesitated, and they managed to escape.”
“Boys?”
“Yes.”
We returned to the gelato cart and listened to Victor’s report.
It seems that the culprit behind the tornado was indeed a wizard. While Victor was using detection magic and running, he encountered two individuals who were releasing magical energy. However, upon seeing Victor, they fled.
“I’m sorry. I let them escape because I hesitated.”
“No, it’s okay. If you had immediately used ice lances or fireballs, they would have been scared off instead.”
“Hey, can you tell me more about the tornado?”
“Oh, right.”
So Victor and I explained to Pauline-san about the tornado that steals magical power.
“I see. Unforgivable. Wizards should know how difficult it is to run out of magical power. Why would they do such a thing?”
“One of them is undoubtedly a practitioner of absorption and depletion magic.”
“That’s right. And the other one knows a special way of using wind magic.”
Pauline-san had a complex expression as she explained.
“Absorption and depletion magic, you know, it’s considered a despicable art by some people. In the past, it was commonly used as a treatment for magical energy overload, but then bracelets and pendants for treating overload were developed. After that, it became exclusively used against imprisoned wizards. That’s when they started being called impure wizards. Wizards who can only use that kind of magic feel ashamed.”
“Even though you’re just doing your job? It’s not like you’re doing something bad.”
“Logic and emotions are different.”
“That’s true.”
“I’m the same way. I’m called a ‘visionary’ due to ancient customs, but among offensive magic users, I’m mocked as someone who ‘just watches’ or ‘uses only observation magic.’”
It seems that there is discrimination and prejudice among wizards based on their specialties.
“For now, we know that the whirlwind is artificial, and the culprit is a boy. We should report to Conrad-san as soon as possible. We need to discuss and come up with a plan.”
“That’s right.”
We closed the gelato stand and headed towards Lord Conrad’s mansion. Pauline-san’s prediction from yesterday, “We won’t be doing business tomorrow,” had become a reality.
Pauline-san’s predictions are always accurate. Amazing.
Chapter 27: Voices of Conrad-san and Kuro.
“Oh, long time no see. The messenger bird said you have an important report.”
“I saw the culprit of the whirlwind.”
“Victor, really? Well then, come inside first.”
Conrad-san, the lord of Sloane Territory, welcomed us as we visited him unexpectedly.
We explained what we had witnessed in the reception room where we were guided. Pauline mentioned the possibility of the crime being committed by someone who resents discrimination and prejudice based on the type of magic.
“I see. Just as I suspected in Heartfield, it was the work of a wizard. Moreover, a young boy, huh? It seems that what Pauline-san said about discrimination and prejudice against those who use draining magic might not be unrelated. That’s why they targeted Victor, who uses ice magic, and me, a fire wizard. The fact that I am a fire wizard is known to the commoners and nobles.”
Conrad-san pondered for a while.
“However, if it was a crime committed by a wizard, there won’t be any evidence left. We have no choice but to apprehend them at the scene.”
Then Pauline-san came up with an idea.
“How about we become bait? You know that I’m slow, so they might come after me again.”
“But today, they might be cautious because we chased after them. I wonder.”
“Well, let’s observe while selling gelato at the square.”
Everyone agreed with my opinion, and we decided to sell gelato at the square while being cautious.
“By the way, is there any gelato left? My wife and children have been making a fuss about wanting to try the gelato that has been the talk of the town lately.”
“Yes, there is. Since there was an incident before we could sell it today, we have the entire stock left.”
“Great, then I’ll buy it all.”
After that, Conrad-san’s wife and two daughters also came to the reception room, and they were delighted with the gelato. We were also delighted because we sold everything in one go.
A week passed.
There was no information about a whirlwind occurring in Sloane Territory. And today, Conrad-san came to Cyril-san’s house for a strategy meeting. Currently, the five of us, including the host Cyril-san, are in the middle of a discussion.
“Has the culprit already gone to another territory?”
“No, I haven’t received any such information yet.”
“Communication takes time when it’s from another territory, right?”
“No, if it’s between wizards, we can communicate using messenger birds. It can send messages to multiple places simultaneously and is much faster than a fast horse. There is a distance limit, but by connecting messages from lord to lord, information can reach far.”
I see. So those little birds can not only monitor but also transmit information. That’s nice. I want to have one too.
“What color is Conrad-san’s bird?”
“Mine? It’s green. Deep green. Oh, Haru, can you see it?”
“Yes, I can. Show it to me. . .”
“Here it is.”
Conrad-san put his index finger on his lips and chanted a spell. Immediately, a deep green bird flew in circles around the room. While flying, it spoke in Conrad-san’s voice, saying, “In a meeting. Currently in a meeting.” Unfortunately, Cyril-san couldn’t see or hear it.
“Magic birds are convenient. I envy you. Mine would just scare people.”
“Oh, really? Haru, do you have an animal you can summon?”
“Well, it’s an animal, but can I bring it out now? Conrad-san, can you promise not to be surprised or attack?”
“Oh, I won’t attack someone else’s summoned animal.”
“Then, Kuro, come here.”
“Meow.”
“Wow!”
Conrad-san stood up and prepared to use magic.
“Conrad-san, it’s okay. This is Kuro. We’re good friends.”
“Meow.”
I held Kuro’s face between my hands and made eye contact, speaking to him.
“Kuro, can you convey my words to everyone here?”
“Meow.”
“Then, tell them, ‘I’m Kuro, nice to meet you.’”
“Meow.”
Kuro looked at everyone’s faces. And then…
“Wow!”
“Ah!”
“Ouch!”
“What is this?”
For some reason, everyone’s faces were amazing.
“Well, the message was properly conveyed to their minds,” said Conrad-san.
“It’s not Haru’s voice,” said Victor.
“It’s a low voice that sounds like it’s coming from the depths of the earth,” said Pauline-san.
“I see, so this is what happens when a monster speaks,” said Cyril-san. It seems that Cyril-san can hear Kuro’s communication as well.
“You conveyed it properly, so please praise him.”
All three of them agreed, but their reactions were like, “We’ve had enough of Kuro’s voice, we’re full.”
“Kuro, you’re really smart and helpful.”
“Meow.”
“Well, from now on, think of this voice as a message from me.”
Everyone nodded with a bitter expression.
We gave up for the day and disbanded.
And a few days later, at night, Conrad-san’s green bird appeared above the four of us while we were having dinner.
[There seems to be a whirlwind in Heartfield Territory.]
It was Conrad-san’s voice.
“Oh, did the bird appear?”
Cyril-san looked at us with great interest.
“It’s Lord Conrad-san’s bird.”
“I see.”
“It seems there is another whirlwind. The location is Heartfield Territory. The roads there are like a network, so it will be difficult to catch the culprit.”
Then Cyril-san made a suggestion with a smile.
“If it’s difficult to catch them, why not lure them? If we hold an event that hurts the pride of the culprits, a boy with a strong desire for self-display might not be able to resist and come on his own, don’t you think?”
Chapter 28: Demonstration of Attack Magic
An attack magic demonstration was held in Heartfield, located to the east of the Sloane territory. The organizer is the lord of this territory. The lord is now delivering the opening remarks.
“Among wizards, those who excel in attack magic have the power equivalent to a hundred ordinary soldiers. Wizards who excel in attack magic are treasures of our country. Thanks to their presence, our country is secure. Today, I would like to showcase their exceptional magic skills to all our citizens. Please, everyone, enjoy the rare and splendid magic performances.”
The lord of Heartfield deliberately emphasizes only the attack magic.
Pauline-san complains to me with a bitter expression.
“I know it’s intentional, but as a visionary wizard, I have some questions. I think it would be even more unpleasant for the absorption and elimination wizards.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it makes me sick.”
The square is much larger than the one where Victor and I used to sell gelato. Ten practitioners of attack magic are lined up there, deliberately dressed in magnificent uniforms for the ceremony. Hundreds of residents have gathered to catch a glimpse of them.
Among the crowd, there are plainclothes security guards and wizards capable of exploration magic. If a whirlwind occurs, it is my role to indicate the direction and path of its movement.
Soon, the demonstration of attack magic begins.
One person throws a lightweight wooden plate high into the air. Immediately, another person casts a fire spell. Boom! The plate catches fire and burns up in mid-air. What was that? Can it be incinerated in an instant? I wonder how high the temperature is.
Next is a demonstration by an ice magic user.
When a small cushion is thrown, ice arrows pierce through it in mid-air. Then, another ice arrow is shot towards the falling cushion, shattering it into pieces and causing the feathers inside to rain down on the audience.
The spectators are all in great excitement.
Some cheer, some clap their hands, and others jump up and down in joy. Everyone is delighted.
After all the demonstrations are over, when it is time to disperse, something catches my eye.
“They’re here! Over there!”
A swirling whirlwind starts moving from the edge of the venue. Its target is likely the wizards who demonstrated the attack magic. I gesture to indicate the direction where the whirlwind is occurring. Many security guards and wizards rush towards that direction. The wizards should be using exploration magic to find the culprit.
Amidst the chaotic venue, the voice of the security personnel resounds.
“Everyone in the audience, please stay still! Stay where you are!”
Upon hearing that voice, the panicked spectators also stop moving and watch the situation unfold.
After a while, two boys are apprehended. Thank goodness, the incident seems to be resolved. The boys, who were causing trouble, have their clothes disheveled and are covered in dirt from being pinned down to the ground. They glare at me with a frustrated expression.
“You dogs of the kingdom!”
Bound by ropes and being pulled away, the boys insult me. I’m slightly shocked to be called a dog of the kingdom, but the lord reassures me, saying, “Don’t worry. Thanks to Haru, we’re safe.”
A few days later, Conrad-san visits Cyril’s house and informs me of the results of the interrogation in Heartfield.
They are children of minor nobles and seem to possess weak wind magic and equally weak absorption and elimination magic.
They found it amusing to drain the magical power of others using a method they learned from their comrades, causing them to collapse one after another. On the day of the demonstration, they had planned to attack only one person and then escape.
“If they were caught, then we can rest easy.”
When I say that, Conrad-san’s face becomes grim.
“It’s not that simple. It seems they are part of a faction of dissatisfied wizards in the kingdom. They were sharing the method of creating those whirlwinds among themselves. We have to find and apprehend that faction. There may be members in our territory as well.”
Saying that, Conrad-san leaves. The incident has not yet been fully resolved. Could those boys who Victor and the others failed to catch be part of that faction? Perhaps sensing my gloomy mood, Victor thoughtfully invites me outside.
“Haru, would you like to go and bathe in the golden powder?”
“Yes, let’s go!”
We go out to the backyard together. We each take a seat on the chairs placed to the right and left of the golden fountain. The golden powder is still gushing out magnificently tonight.
“Hey, Haru. My health is improving day by day. This place is amazing.”
“I feel bad monopolizing it just the two of us.”
We relax together. However, suddenly, Victor stands up and looks around.
“I sense someone’s presence.”
“Huh?”
As I look around, a whirlwind is forming in the corner of the backyard.
“It’s coming! Victor, stay away! I’ll make it disappear!”
“Wait! Haru!”
I run towards the whirlwind. If I touch it, that thing will disappear. I had been thinking only about eliminating it, but while running, someone grabs my arm, causing me to fall. As I try to get up, a black cloth bag is quickly placed over my head.
“Hey! Let go of Haru!”
“Oops. If you attack us, she’ll die.”
A voice I’ve never heard before. Something hard and sharp is pressed against my neck. Blades are not good. I can nullify magic, but I can’t resist blades.
“Ice Lance!”
“Whoa! It disappeared?”
It seems that Victor’s ice spear disappeared as I made it vanish. My ability is inconvenient! The man carries me as if holding me and starts running.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Only six months left until the great disaster foreseen by Pauline.
Chapter 29: Interrogation of Wildcat
Ah, it’s painful. My head is throbbing.
I seem to be lying face down on the back of a horse with a bag over my head. The rough rope is prickling my skin, and being tightly bound, it hurts all over.
It’s really painful. If I stay in this position, I feel like my nose will start bleeding.
“Stay still and sit properly on the horse!”
“Shut up!”
“…”
Damn it.
Hang in there, me. Victor and Pauline are both skilled wizards, so they must be tracking me. They will definitely come to rescue me.
…As if reading my thoughts, the man riding with me spoke up.
“No help is coming. We’re using anti-tracking magic.”
How much magic do they have? Do they even have stealth capabilities? While encouraging myself with thoughts like “It’s okay, calm down,” I tried to be careful not to fall off the horse. Falling with my head down from the height of the horse’s back would be no joke.
How much time has passed since then?
“Get off once. If you try to escape, I’ll kill you.”
The man said that and helped me down. The ropes loosened a bit, but the bag over my head remained. Except for receiving water during a restroom break, we traveled on horseback.
I wonder how much Kuro can help. It’s my last resort, so it might be too early to call Kuro now. If they have a base, I’ll summon the demon cat there.
…However, what if Kuro’s abilities are just scratching? It would be troublesome if the demon cat can only jump a little. I should have known Kuro’s abilities in advance.
The horse finally stopped. It seems we’ve reached our destination. I can sense the presence of multiple people. I was pulled along by the rope, stumbling.
“Mole, good job.”
“Yes.”
“That woman, she’s a wizard who can erase what she sees.”
“Yes.”
“Well done.”
The man who kidnapped me moved away. Is Mole a code name? And Mole’s superior is a woman.
“Woman, what’s your name?”
“Haru.”
As I said that, I lost my balance and fell. I couldn’t stand up because I was still bound. The floor was cold and chilly.
“We’ll talk later. Frog, take care of her. She seems quite tired.”
“Yes.”
While trembling from the coldness of the floor, I was pulled up and made to walk by Frog. I was made to sit on a bed and given water.
“Are you hungry, by any chance?”
I nodded firmly.
“I see. I’m sorry. You must have been surprised.”
Saying that, Frog left the room. Then he quickly returned and untied my ropes, handing me a cup. It smelled good. The smell of soup. There was bread too.
“The bag stays on.”
I slowly ate the soup and bread given to me from under the bag. I chewed slowly and drank. Since I still had the bag on, I couldn’t see the room.
“It was delicious. Thank you.”
“Can you speak now? Someone will come to clean you up.”
Saying that, Frog left, and a woman came in.
“I’ll untie the rope. It’s quite dirty, so use hot water and a towel to clean yourself.”
I could imagine how dirty I must be. I was handed a towel and lukewarm water, and I blindly wiped my whole body. I felt refreshed. Just that alone made me feel more human.
“Don’t try to escape because I’m here. If you do, I’ll have to tie you up even tighter. You wouldn’t like that, would you?”
“No.”
I heard new footsteps, and the voice of the woman from earlier.
“I’m Wildcat. You must be tired, but I need you to answer my questions. Oh, by the way, the Familiars won’t be able to find you here, and you won’t be able to use Familiars either.”
Then, a lengthy interrogation by Wildcat began.
“If you refuse to answer or tell a single lie, I’ll have to kill a child. Even if it’s an unknown child, you wouldn’t want a child to be killed because of you, right?”
At that moment, the timing was perfect as a child started crying.
“Help! Don’t kill me! Let me go home. Please.”
Oh well. . . This is probably a staged child’s voice, but if it’s real, it’s troublesome.
“Fine. I won’t harm the child.”
“It’s good that you’re obedient.”
I answered each question honestly. The same questions were asked repeatedly, trying to catch me in a lie. I answered truthfully to avoid being mistaken for lying.
I revealed that I’m not from this world, that I was summoned to this country, that I have no magical power, that the only wizards I know are Victor and Pauline, that Conrad-san asked for my help in apprehending the culprit, and that I can see whirlwinds.
I answered honestly to the questions asked, but I managed to avoid answering about being able to nullify offensive magic or about Kuro. When asked how I made the whirlwind disappear, I repeated that I didn’t know. Because I really don’t know.
Then the child cried again, seeking help, so I started crying loudly too.
“Stop it! Don’t hurt the child! I don’t understand anything either! I can’t answer what I don’t know! Waaaah!”
“Alright, alright. Stop crying, you’re being noisy. But speaking of which, you’re the person summoned from another world, huh? Those guys must be disappointed. I wanted to see their faces when they found out that someone without magical power was summoned. Hehehe. Well, now I’ll investigate whether you really have no magical power. If I find out you’re lying, one child will die.”
It seems that Wildcat can use some kind of appraisal magic. After that, my lack of magical power was properly appraised.
Thank goodness.
Chapter 30: Kuro, do your best
“I’m sorry. I know it’s tough for you to keep wearing the bag all the time. But it’s for your own safety. If you see our faces, it could put you in danger. It’s safer for you not to see anything.”
A man called Frog spoke to me.
“Why did you kidnap me?”
“We heard that there is a wizard who can see and neutralize what we created. We wanted to recruit you as an ally. But I never expected you to come from another world without any magical powers.”
Frog speaks in an elegant manner. Is he a noble?
“I’ve been thinking all this time, but I don’t understand your intentions. Even if you steal magical powers, they would recover in a day or two of rest. So why do such a thing?”
“There’s no reason for me to tell you that. You must be connected to the lords and palace wizards, right? But since we’re subjecting you to this, I’ll give you a little explanation.”
I sensed that Frog sat down on a chair.
“We can use magic. However, we can hardly use the offensive magic that is desired in this country. We can interfere with magic detection, drain and discard other people’s magical powers, use a little water magic, create weak fireballs, blow weak winds. Oh, and we can create weak barriers to protect this place. That’s the kind of group we are.”
“But if you have magical powers, wouldn’t it be better than not having them in this country?”
“If you have some magical powers, as a noble, you would be considered useless, and as a commoner, you would be seen as someone with magical powers. You would be an outcast from both sides. Especially for drain wizards, they are looked down upon as tainted wizards who work with criminals, maintaining law and order.”
Frog’s voice was tinged with quiet anger.
“That’s why we decided to stop being mere victims. That’s all I can tell you.”
Does it mean they are going against the state’s system? Do they want to stage a coup? But it’s impossible to just drain other people’s magical powers.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
I don’t know how much time has passed since I was brought here. It seems like several days have gone by. Even during meals, I have to keep the bag on, and there is always someone near me. I’m constantly asked to stay in bed.
Being deprived of sight, I really can’t do anything. I lose track of time. I can’t even take advantage of the guards’ moments of inattention.
Reluctantly, I gently stimulated my muscles one by one. It would be troublesome if I couldn’t walk or run when the time comes.
But starting from this morning, I no longer sense anyone’s presence. Have they finally let their guard down?
“I need to use the bathroom.”
I called out, but there was no response. No one seemed to be moving. Alright, this is my chance!
“Kuro, appear inside the blanket without making any sound.”
Kuro appeared around my stomach. It seems that you can’t use a summoning bird, but what about a monster? Can it bypass the barrier? For now, it managed to come to me.
“Let Victor know my whereabouts and bring him here.”
Kuro licked the back of my hand and disappeared. I waited for a while, but it didn’t come back. Alright, it seems that monsters can pass through the barrier. I’m probably safe now. Victor and Pauline-san will surely come to rescue me.
“It’s mealtime. Eat while still wearing the bag.”
At night, I was handed a wooden tray. The bottom part of the bag remained as it was, so only the lower part of my face was visible. Today, it was vegetable soup and bread. I ate every bite without leaving anything behind. After all, I need strength to escape.
The person who brought the meal seems to be keeping watch on the other side of the door. I can hear voices conversing. While exercising, I listened carefully to their conversation.
As I exercised, I pondered their arguments.
Excluded by both nobles and commoners. I can understand the pain of being an outcast, even if only a little. But even if they temporarily take away our magic powers, if time passes, won’t they recover? Even if they were to somehow take control, they would have to keep draining the magic powers of top-class attack wizards forever. Isn’t that impossible?
Moreover, for commoners, it’s a dispute among wizards that has nothing to do with them. It would be reassuring to have strong users of offensive magic who protect the country. Even if Frog and Wildcat were to rise to power, are there any commoners who would support them?
I can’t help but feel that their plan is too sloppy. Are they all just running recklessly with youthful enthusiasm?
One day, when Frog brought me my meal, I decided to speak up.
“Um, isn’t it unnecessary to think that we have to take control? Isn’t finding or creating a place where each of us can be useful another way to live?”
“You, who came from another world, can’t understand our suffering.”
“In the world I came from, there was no such thing as a completely equal country either. There were people who looked down on others, and there were unfair things. But little by little, we made efforts to gain the understanding of many people by investing time and effort. I don’t think attacking important people all of a sudden will solve the problem.”
“Hmph. What you’re saying is just idealistic nonsense.”
Frog said that and left. I expected him to say that. I don’t feel disappointed because I said it with the hope that it might become a catalyst for change someday.
I lay on the bed, facing up, and started doing sit-ups. I wonder if Kuro safely reached Victor and the others. I hope I can guide them here successfully.
It’s probably midnight now, I think.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed in my stomach, long after Kuro had been sent away. At the same time, the building shook violently.
Have they arrived? Did Victor and the others come to help? Many people were screaming. There were sounds of explosions and the cracking of wood. The screams continued.
“Kuro! Are you here? Come here if you are!”
“Nya.”
“Can you cut the rope?”
“Nya.”
Kuro lightly scratched the rope that was tied around both of my wrists with its front paws. The rope snapped with its claws, and my arms were finally free after a long time. I quickly removed the bag from my head.
“Ugh, it’s bright.”
Even though it was only the light of a squeezed oil lamp, it was blinding to my eyes that had been covered by the bag for days. Kuro’s eyes were shining green as they reflected the light.
“Kuro, can you let me out?”
“Nya.”
I thought Kuro would use magic or something to unlock the door, but it started scratching the wall facing outside. Oh no, it’s just a cat. That’s exactly what a cat would do. Maybe I had expected too much.
And then, as I was disappointed, the wall crumbled and a hole appeared, which grew bigger and bigger. It was a hole that I could pass through if I bent down. Demon cat, you’re amazing.
“Thank you, Kuro.”
“Nya.”
There was no one outside. The explosion had occurred on the opposite side of the cabin. Smoke was rising.
“Please let Victor know that I managed to escape.”
“Nya.”
I walked towards the nearby bushes, staggering on my weakened legs. I wanted to run, but my bound legs wouldn’t move as I wished. Just a little more to reach the bushes, and then I heard a voice from behind.
“Stop! If you don’t stop, I’ll attack.”
I turned around slowly and saw a young man holding a small fireball in his hand. It was much smaller than Victor’s.
“Don’t worry, Kuro. Let’s go.”
“Nya.”
I continued towards the bushes.
“Fireball!”
I could tell from the heat in my back that the fireball was approaching, but I was fine.
“Huh? Huh?”
I heard a surprised and flustered voice from behind.
After that, I heard the voice saying “Fireball!” multiple times, and hot gusts of wind came, but nothing happened to me. Actually, the bushes in front of me were catching fire, so I wished they would stop. That’s more dangerous!
“Kuro, drive them away.”
“Nya.”
“Wha! It’s a monster!”
Good job, Kuro.
Soon after, a battle started right behind me. I immediately heard Victor’s voice saying, “Haru!” When I turned around, I saw Victor fighting alongside several people who seemed to be wizards.
I’m sure everything will be fine now, I thought, and then I suddenly felt weak and squatted down. But I saw something that made me unable to relax.
A whirlwind was approaching them.
“Whirlwind! Behind Victor! Run that way!”
No, they’re catching up. I hurriedly returned to the cabin. Hurry! Hurry! Damn it, I should run faster!
One soldier fell with a thud. The whirlwind, which had turned into a golden pillar by absorbing his magic power, moved on to the next person. The fallen soldier’s eyes remained open, motionless. Is he unconscious? This is bad. I staggered while looking for the person creating the whirlwind.
There they were. A pair of them using magic towards us. I stood between them and the rescue team. I prayed that I could shield them with my body.
“Watch out!” someone said behind me. Then, a young man with a thick wooden stick in his hand ran towards me, shouting, “Don’t interfere with us!” He was about to swing it down at me. I didn’t even have time to escape. It’s true that everything seems to be in slow motion at times like this.
(Ah, this is it. I’m going to die.) I closed my eyes.
“Gyaaaah!”
When I opened my eyes, Kuro was biting the right shoulder of the man holding the stick. With its translucent black wings flapping, it floated in the air and bit down hard. Its fangs were long. I didn’t know Kuro had such long fangs.
A person wearing a black mask ran over and chanted something while holding his hand towards the young man. Then, golden powder overflowed from the young man. He immediately collapsed and stopped moving. The other pair had already been defeated by the person in the black mask. Kuro flew over to me and landed on my shoulder, turning around once in the air.
“Haru!”
Pauline-san came running. When I saw her tearful face, I finally felt relieved. Then, I really lost my strength.
“Pauline-san, you came too. Thank you.”
“I can use fire magic a little, you know. I knew you were safe from my foresight, but I’m finally relieved.”
Pauline-san hugged me tightly, and then she guided me, saying, “Come this way.” The sounds of battle were still going on behind me, but it was getting quieter.
I got on a sturdy carriage, checked for injuries, drank herbal tea from a water bottle, and was hugged once again.
“Kuro guided the soldiers. At first, we were all wide-eyed. Thanks to Victor’s explanation, we followed Kuro. It was quite a strange sight, with dozens of soldiers riding horses and following Kuro, who was fluttering in the air like that. I want to pass down that story to future generations.”
I also wanted to see that.
The ones who rushed to the enemy’s stronghold were the soldiers of Conrad Sloane-sama and the soldiers of this territory. This place is called the Ulteus territory.
Most of those who were overwhelmed and arrested by the soldiers were young wizards. The ones who kept them quiet were practitioners of “absorption magic.” When they waved their hands and chanted a spell, everyone’s strength drained away, and they fell down. The culprits were being carried away one after another and laid out on the ground.
“Why do those people wear black masks?”
“Many practitioners of absorption magic don’t want their faces to be known.”
Conrad-san, who had somehow come outside the carriage, explained. Perhaps because they are looked down upon. Even though they are so helpful.
And now, I am wrapped in a blanket, being rocked in the carriage. I want to return to Cyril-san’s house soon. Victor is sitting next to me, and for some reason, he has been holding my shoulder the whole time. Conrad-san and Pauline-san are sitting across from me.
“What will happen to the captured people?”
“They will be sent to the capital. Since they have absorbed the magic of others but haven’t killed anyone, they won’t be sentenced to death. However…what will happen after the investigation of the magic that creates the whirlwind and absorbs magic is completed? I don’t know if the period of being imprisoned is limited or indefinite.”
The carriage moves. Victor remains silent. Pauline-san also seems to be contemplating something. Perhaps there are things they can’t talk about in front of Conrad-san. I was just tired, anyway.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
There has been a constant interrogation from Conrad-san inside the moving carriage. Couldn’t it wait until we arrive at Cyril-san’s house?
“I apologize for doing this when you’re tired. However, I have an obligation to report this incident to the royal palace. To report the reason why you were abducted, I also have to mention your abilities. I have to write in the report that you can see and erase whirlwinds.”
“Oh.”
“There is a possibility that some information will reach the royal palace before my report. Depending on the situation, investigators from the palace may come to our territory immediately. I want to finish the questioning before that happens.”
“Yes, understood.”
With the hand that Victor had placed on my shoulder and a nod from Pauline-san, I nodded in response.
The only things I know are the leader named Wildcat, the kidnapper named Mole, a nobleman named Frog, a caretaker woman, and a child who seems to be their companion. I don’t have much useful information.
“I see. Understood. We will enter the mountains soon.”
“Yes.”
“Be careful in the mountains because thieves are likely to appear.”
“…”
How am I supposed to be careful? Come to think of it, I can’t see the escorts who were supposed to be in front and behind us since a while ago. Aren’t they too far away?
While pondering about it, the carriage stopped. The door was opened from the outside, and a man with half of his face covered by a scarf pulled Victor’s arm, saying, “Get off.”
“Eh? Eh? Eh?”
Victor obediently got off. Then, the man said to me, “You too.” Pauline, who was pushing me from behind, got off by herself.
“Hand over anything valuable.”
“Yes, please accept this as an apology.”
Conrad-san handed over something that seemed to be money wrapped in cloth. Both sides were speaking in a scripted manner, but what is this? Is it some kind of act? A performance?
After the three of us got off, the carriage left with Conrad-san on board.
“Well then, Haru must be tired. Take a rest for a while.”
“That voice…?”
The masked man lowered his scarf.
“Hey, Haru. It’s been a while. I was relieved when I heard that you were rescued safely.”
“Cyril-san! Why are you pretending to be a bandit?”
“Haru, let’s get on the carriage first.”
Prompted by Pauline-san, I followed Cyril-san. After walking for a while, a covered wagon was parked.
“I’ll be the coachman. Haru, you should sit in the back and have Victor and Pauline explain the situation to you. I’ve also brought some delicious food.”
The cargo bed of the covered wagon, with its canopy, was comfortable. The box-shaped chairs served as storage, and there was also a box-shaped table that could be used as storage. There were many items loaded in it.
Pauline-san took out a large cookie from a square can and scooped sour cream and strawberry jam from another can onto a wooden plate, then handed it to me.
“It’s been a while since I had something sweet.”
I ate the cookie without hesitation. In between, I drank tea from a wooden mug. The tea was poured from a container that looked like a large water bottle. It was a bit lukewarm, but I didn’t complain about luxury. Victor and Pauline looked at me with gentle eyes.
“I thought you would contact us sooner. I was worried because we didn’t receive any news for a long time.”
“Yes, that’s right. I should have let Kuro contact you sooner.”
“Well…because I had constant surveillance. I didn’t know Kuro’s abilities, and it would have been troublesome if they found out about the contact and moved to a different location.”
“I see. Haru, you were surprisingly calm.”
“Victor was a mess and had a hard time after you were abducted, you know?”
“A mess? Hard time?”
Pauline just chuckled and didn’t tell me. Victor turned his face away without responding.
“By the way, where are we going with all these belongings? Isn’t it Cyril-san’s house?”
“According to my foresight, if you stay at Cyril-san’s house, people from the palace will come in two days to pick you up. They will come to welcome you.”
“Me? The palace?”
“Yes. I don’t know the reason yet, but I think it’s probably related to the whirlwind incident. They must have found some value in you.”
It took me a little time to understand what was being said.
“Oh my… It’s really something, the palace.”
“Rather than the palace…it’s probably the Prime Minister.”
“Like a deep-sea fish. It’s possible.”
We fell into a distant gaze for a moment, but Pauline-san quickly changed the subject with a cheerful voice.
“Cyril-san suggested that we all move together. He said his family’s house is near the sea.”
“That’s not all. Conrad-san cooperated with us to let us escape. He said that we were attacked by bandits and taken away.”
Ah, I see. That earlier act was for that purpose…
“Anyway, it seems like we can all live happily together, right?”
When I said that, both Victor and Pauline-san smiled wryly and said, “You’re much more energetic than we thought.”
The carriage leisurely moved forward. We enjoyed a small journey together.
Chapter 33: Prime Minister Benedict’s Thoughts
Prime Minister Benedict Farrar had been fixated on the report that had just been presented to him for a long time.
It was said that Haru Ayukawa was the key to solving the case. That woman, he thought, couldn’t be found, but she was in the Heartfield and Sloane territories. And she had such abilities. The Prime Minister bit his lip.
He had thought that the incidents of magic depletion occurring in the capital and the Heartfield territory were due to the carelessness of the wizards themselves. But that wasn’t the case.
The captured troublemakers, apprehended by the territorial soldiers, were individuals dissatisfied with Kholdar Kingdom’s policy of prioritizing attack magic and magical power. They were likely the same as those who had caused small rebellions multiple times before.
In this country, nobles who were skilled in attack magic stood at the top. Among nobles of the same status, those who could use stronger attack magic were ranked higher.
If the strength of attack magic was the same, nobles of higher status would be ranked higher. Position was determined by both status and the strength of attack magic.
Therefore, those without magical power, who were commoners, were positioned at the bottom. However, it was not the lower class that expressed dissatisfaction. It was those who were nobles but lacked proficiency in attack magic who were more likely to be dissatisfied.
All previous rebellions had been suppressed, and the captured rebels were imprisoned. This time, too, the plan was to imprison them and be done with it. However, the “magic that steals the opponent’s magical power from a distance” they had created was pricking Benedict’s intellect.
“Could this new magic be usable?”
Combining wind magic and absorption magic, no one had thought of that. If this magic could be made even more powerful, it might neutralize enemy wizards from a distance. This new technique seemed to bring his own glorious honor.
The summoning of the saint had still not been successful, and the king frequently urged for it. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Benedict, as the highest authority, to keep answering, “It will be soon.”
“Summon Brent Baynes.”
Brent, the commander of the mage unit, was summoned by the Prime Minister and was surprised by the information he was given.
“Combining wind magic and absorption magic, and furthermore, strengthening it, is that it?”
“Yes, that’s right. It was done by those weak magic novices. It should be easy for wizards serving in the royal palace. If it succeeds, it will greatly reduce the damage to our army. We can fight the enemy’s wizards after depleting their magical power. Brent, gather wind magic and absorption magic users, master this magic, and research its enlargement.”
While heading to his own room after leaving the Prime Minister’s office, Brent, the commander of the mage unit, thought that there was a major problem with the tactics he had just heard.
The Prime Minister’s plan was certainly efficient and put less burden on the national treasury. However, it disregarded the position of attack magic users who had become heroes in previous wars. On the contrary, wind magic and absorption magic users, who had previously been second or third in line, would now take the spotlight.
The Prime Minister, being a user of summoning magic, is somewhat unfamiliar with the mindset of specialized users of attack magic such as fire and ice magic. Those who excel in war often expand their influence greatly through subsequent rewards, so there is no doubt that this operation will sow the seeds of a new power struggle.
“Such a hassle.”
To see how this operation will affect the future, Brent thought he should consult the visionary wizard. He called for Pauline, but the messenger returned with the reply, “The visionary wizard is on vacation.”
“Pauline on vacation? Come to think of it, she did mention something like that. But that was a long time ago. How long is she taking a vacation for?”
The messenger hurriedly inquired with the administrative staff and came back with an answer. It is customary not to immediately use a messenger bird for matters like this.
“Huh? A hundred days of vacation? She was the one who said there might be a major disaster in this country, so what on earth is she thinking?”
Brent, the commander of the mage unit, stormed into the administrative office, questioning the nervous administrative director who granted the permission. The administrative director handed over a piece of paper.
Without a doubt, his own signature was written on the vacation request form.
“…Was it that time?!”
Brent remembered the moment he signed this. It was when he was urgently summoned by the Prime Minister.
“Tch.”
He hastily tried to send a messenger bird to Pauline, but it seemed that Pauline was out of range for the messenger bird to reach. Brent’s messenger bird was just circling above his head.
No matter how strong his magical power was, there was a limit to the distance he could send a messenger bird. It meant that Pauline was not nearby.
“Even though she had been living in the castle for twenty years, she chooses to take a vacation at a time like this!”
However, since he was the one who granted permission, openly blaming her would only reflect back on his own mistake. Reluctantly, Brent had no choice but to faithfully carry out the Prime Minister’s instructions without foreseeing the outcome of this plan.
“Gather wind magic and absorption magic users.”
Brent’s subordinates, upon hearing the order, were inwardly surprised by the gathering of individuals who rarely had a chance to shine. However, since Brent was in a bad mood, they followed the order without questioning it.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister called for someone from the non-wizard military personnel who was skilled in searching for people and ordered, “Bring Haru Ayukawa from the Sloane territory to the royal castle.”
“She can see and erase magical power that doesn’t appear to be wizard-like. It seems to have some use. It wasn’t a complete waste after all. Good, good. It’s quite a favorable development.”
Chapter 34: Visiting Cyril-san’s Hometown
“I’m happy to be with everyone, but what about Cyril-san and Pauline-san’s work?”
When I asked, both of them smiled and said, “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
“I’m single and have been working as an architect, so I have savings. I made arrangements to take a break from work while Haru was being taken away. It’s actually a good opportunity for me to relax for a while.”
“Me too. I haven’t taken a break in twenty years, so I want to rest.”
If they say so, then I guess I don’t need to worry.
“I’m relieved to hear that. I want to start my business again.”
“Oh, if it’s a gelato shop, I’ll help too.”
“Thank you, Victor. I’m counting on you.”
The horse-drawn carriage continued on. Cyril-san’s hometown seemed to be a bustling town with a thriving commercial district near the sea and the border.
“No one lives in my family’s house, but I asked the neighbors to ventilate and clean it, so it should be ready to use soon.”
“Then we can start the business right away.”
“Haru has been restrained for a long time. How about taking a break without pushing yourself?”
“Oh, Victor. I’ll be fine. In fact, moving around will help with my recovery.”
“If you say so.”
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As the comfortable horse-drawn carriage swayed, Pauline concealed her inner anxieties.
After the culprit behind the whirlwind was caught, she had a vision of the future, thinking, “This should have nothing to do with a major disaster.”
She brought her fingertips together, closed her eyes, concentrated the magical power within her body into her fingertips, and gently released them. A small and precise circular magic circle appeared, and when she poured her magical power into it, she could see the designated future within the magic circle.
Pauline took a sharp breath. What she saw was smoke rising from various places, with patches of land stripped of greenery and exposed soil.
“What is this?”
It was the future appearance of the kingdom that she had seen before summoning Haru. The bad future of the two possibilities was clearer than last time, while the prosperous future was strangely vague.
So, the arrest of those boys is connected to the calamity of the Kholdar Kingdom.
“What does this mean? They were arrested.”
She had seventy days of vacation remaining. Even if she tried to take Haru to the capital now, she wouldn’t get permission, and it’s unclear if that’s the right thing to do. Anyway, she must make sure not to leave Haru’s side. She must keep track of her whereabouts and actions to continue her foresight. Pauline believed it was her responsibility.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Eventually, the carriage arrived at Cyril-san’s family home. As expected of a town near the border, there were merchants dressed in foreign-style clothes and shops with foreign-style facades lined up. It was bustling with many people.
“It’s surprising. I thought Cyril-san would live in a less populated area.”
“Haru, it’s the opposite. I grew up in a crowded place and didn’t get along well with people, so as a reaction, I started living in a remote countryside.”
“I see. . . When Cyril-san is with us, he doesn’t seem like someone who has difficulty socializing, so it’s kind of mysterious.”
When Pauline-san said that, Cyril-san stopped moving for a moment as if he had seen something dazzling, blinked his eyes a few times.
“It’s strange even to myself, but when I’m with you guys, I almost forget why I used to avoid people. Despite having hated humans and thought I didn’t get along with them after going through so many unpleasant experiences, being with you all is very enjoyable.”
So Cyril-san, who answered like that, looked at Pauline-san with a gentle face.
“It’s probably because Haru can see gold dust. I’m really grateful to you guys. You opened the door to my small, closed-off world.”
“I’m glad I could meet Pauline-san too!”
“Oh, Haru. Don’t tease me.”
“Fufu.”
Eventually, we arrived at Cyril-san’s family home. It was on the outskirts of the lively shopping district, at the boundary between the residential area and the commercial district.
“Lovely. . .”
It was no wonder that Pauline-san was enraptured. The old-fashioned two-story building was large, with white walls and an elegant deep red roof. Sculptures resembling entwined flowers adorned the corners of the building, and the doors and windows were intricately decorated with carved designs.
The garden was filled with blooming flowers, and the lawn was neatly trimmed. It didn’t seem like no one lived there at all.
“I asked the neighbors to take care of the maintenance, and it seems they have been doing a thorough job. I have to go and thank them later.”
“I would like to go together to introduce ourselves and pay our respects.”
“Oh, of course, Haru. Is it okay with you, Victor, Pauline?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, of course.”
A few houses down, there was a house where the person responsible for Cyril’s family’s management lived. They were greeted by a gentle-looking couple in their fifties.
“Hey, long time no see. I was impressed by how well you took care of my house.”
“Cyril-san, it’s been a while. I did everything I could.”
“Perfect. By the way, these people are my friends. We’ll be staying here for a while.”
“I’m Pauline.”
“I’m Victor.”
“I’m Haru.”
“Welcome to Deals. I’m the caretaker, Dennis.”
“Welcome. I’m his wife, Dolly.”
The red-haired couple greeted them with warm smiles. It was clear from Cyril-san’s family home that they were hardworking and sincere.
And so, our life in the town of Deals, near the border, began.
Chapter 35: Chinese rice porridge in the border town of Deals
The town of Deals, located on the outskirts of the Sumner territory, reflected the peaceful times with its active exchange with the neighboring country of Orkcott to the east. In response to the constant flow of people and goods, there were numerous restaurants, inns, and trading companies that dealt with domestic and foreign goods lining the streets.
Due to the peaceful nature, the number of soldiers was small, and the atmosphere of the town was calm.
“Cyril-san, where should I apply to start a small business here?”
“You should apply at the Merchant Guild right over there with a deposit.”
The Chamber of Commerce was located at the end of the main street. Upon entering the office-like entrance, there were about ten people working at their desks, but a woman who noticed us stood up and came to the counter.
“Hello. What can I help you with?”
“We want to start a new business here.”
“Do you have a specific location in mind?”
“We want to use a carriage, so we would like to know the approved locations.”
“What will you be selling?”
“Light snacks, sweets, and drinks.”
“Then please read this. If it’s a mobile stall, the application fee is ten silver coins.”
I handed over ten silver coins from the money I earned from selling gelato and received a receipt and a document stating the approved locations for mobile stalls.
When I returned home and was about to read it leisurely, I was captivated by a poster on the wall. It was not printed but hand-drawn.
[Let’s become healthy by eating Contes.]
It depicted a young woman scooping up a mound of something called Contes onto a plate with a spoon. The drawing. There was no mistaking it; it was clearly rice and grains. The rice was red, a reddish-purple color.
“Excuse me, where can I get this grain called Contes?”
The woman at the reception smiled and said,
“We sell it at Haines Grain Store.”
He taught me that.
Led by Cyril-san, I went to Haines Grain Store, which was a large shop. Various grains were lined up in wooden boxes on the storefront. Contes was placed at the front. Its price was slightly higher than the others.
“Hello. What can I get for you?”
“I’d like about a bucketful of Contes, please.”
“Sure thing. That will be two silver coins. Do you know how to cook it, Ojou-san?”
“Yes. I’m thinking of trying various recipes.”
“If you manage to make something delicious, I’d appreciate it if you could teach me the recipe. Contes is a grain that I want to promote.”
We parted with smiles and I returned to Cyril-san’s house.
“So, what kind of dish are you going to make?”
“Cyril-san, have you ever had rice porridge?”
“Rice porridge? No, I haven’t.”
“Then please look forward to it.”
I immediately washed the Contes, added water, and simmered it together with bone-in chicken. The bone-in chicken would create a rich broth, so I simmered it slowly until the grains were still intact, making a porridge. While it simmered, I prepared the toppings.
Sweet and savory simmered pork with ginger and minced pork, deep-fried bread crumbs, chopped green onions, and a soft-boiled egg.
“I think this will be enough for today.”
Satisfied, I muttered, and Victor and Pauline-san, who were reading books behind me, chuckled. Cyril-san seemed eager for the rice porridge.
I took out the bone-in chicken simmered with Contes, said “Ouch!” as I removed the meat from the bones, shredded it finely, and sprinkled it with salt, grated ginger, and sesame oil. There were a total of five toppings. I lightly seasoned the rice porridge with salt and it was ready.
“Now, please try it.”
In front of everyone was a reddish-purple, sticky rice porridge. In the center of the table were the five toppings.
“Put a little bit of each topping on your own rice porridge and try it. Be careful not to burn yourself as it’s hot.”
Both the Contes and rice porridge seemed to be new to everyone, and they blew on it to cool it down.
“It’s delicious. The sweetness of Contes and the chewy texture are great.”
“When you eat it with the crispy fried bread, the texture is enjoyable, and the flavor of the oil makes it appetizing.”
“With so many toppings, I feel like I could eat endlessly.”
Good, good, it’s well received.
“I wonder if this will sell. We can offer up to three toppings of your choice, and we can sell it for three copper coins per bowl.”
“Isn’t that too cheap?” said Pauline-san.
“It should be fine, right? If it’s cheap, there might be people who can eat it every day,” said Victor.
Cyril-san was still trying all the toppings and was in the middle of tasting, so there was no response yet.
Alright, let’s sell rice porridge in the square from tomorrow morning.
“Ah, it was delicious, Haru. This is a deliciousness that becomes addictive. It’s wonderful that there are so many toppings available.”
Good, good, good.
“Don’t you sell gelato? I feel lonely without it. If you’re short-handed, I can sell it!”
“If Pauline-san becomes a vendor, then yes.”
“I’ll do it! Then, Victor, help me make gelato. I’ve already learned how to make it. If only I could use ice magic, I could make it by myself.”
“Oh, that’s a great deal.”
It seemed that Pauline-san had learned how to make gelato by watching. Gelato is easy once you know the proportions. We decided to sell only simple milk-flavored gelato and rice porridge.
Since “Chuka Gyu” doesn’t convey the meaning of Chinese, we decided to sell it under the simple name of “Okayu” (rice porridge). As long as it’s delicious, the name doesn’t matter!
Chapter 36: The Wizards of Each
Brent, who was ordered to learn new magic and enlarge it, had to start by understanding the technique of using whirlwinds to steal other people’s magical power.
“Do you think I would teach you that even if I died?!”
Most of the arrested rebels cursed and said such things. However, if you looked closely, you could see cracks in their seemingly united bond. While the leaders, Wildcat and Frog, never spoke, a man known as Mole wavered in his determination, saying, If you tell me the secret, you will get a reward and I will release you from the cell quickly,” while dangling a carrot in front of their noses.
One day, Mole proudly said, “The key is to activate wind magic in a way that the magical power forms a small whirlpool when creating a whirlwind. Frog taught me that,” and demonstrated it. Brent silently cheered in his mind. Mole seemed more likely to confess willingly than to be tortured.
Mole, flattered and enticed by the reward, ended up performing in front of the palace wizards.
The wind wizards and the practitioners of absorption and elimination magic, who served in the palace, practiced tirelessly every day to reproduce the techniques they were taught. Then, one day, inspired by Mole’s demonstration, someone succeeded in creating a small invisible whirlwind with a hint of absorption and elimination magic.
“We did it! I’m starting to understand. Instead of creating the original wind, I think we should imagine a whirlpool from the moment we gather magical power in our bodies and cast the spell.”
Even those who had previously failed gradually became able to send out small whirlwinds of concentrated magical power, which did not create actual wind. The remaining challenge was to combine it with absorption and elimination magic to target someone.
The practitioners of absorption and elimination magic were enthusiastic, saying, “Now is the time for us to be useful to the kingdom.” The two groups of wizards devoted themselves wholeheartedly to learning new magic. Until now, their job had been to extract just enough magical power from the imprisoned wizards to keep them alive. They were burning with the desire to make the most of this opportunity.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister received a report from the person he sent to bring Haru back.
“According to Lord Conrad Sloane, on the way back from rescuing Haru Ayukawa from the rebels’ stronghold, they were abducted by bandits. We are currently searching for shops where abducted women work in the Sloane and Heartfield territories, just to be safe, but we haven’t found them yet.”
“What about Victor?”
“Victor was also abducted at the same time as Haru.”
“Hmm, that’s strange. Even if his reasoning was burned out, would Victor, who was called a genius wizard, be taken away without resistance? There may be someone assisting Victor and Haru. Continue to track Haru Ayukawa’s whereabouts. Since Victor is likely with her, search from the areas where he has connections.”
“Understood.”
The person searching for Haru quietly left the room, and in their place, Brent, the leader of the magician unit, came to report.
“Prime Minister-sama, today, although it is very weak, we were able to combine absorption and elimination magic with wind magic. The target person testified that they felt their magical power being drained, although it was only a little. Only one pair has succeeded so far, but the learning process is progressing smoothly.”
“I see. Hurry and urge all the pairs to learn the new magic.”
“Yes, sir.”
While the Prime Minister and Brent were pushing the palace wizards, the group of rebels imprisoned in the dungeon secretly communicated through their familiar birds.
Normally, they would drain their magical power to the brink of exhaustion, but the practitioners of absorption and elimination magic in the palace were fatigued.
So, they reduced the amount of magical power drained and discarded each day. Wildcat was the first to notice this. She sent her familiar bird to her close aide, Frog. The response came back quickly. They communicated back and forth using the familiar birds.
[The surveillance has become lax. If we’re going to escape, now is the chance.]
[Let’s gradually create small openings in the iron bars using magic during the time when our magical power is replenishing.]
[Understood. How are the others doing?]
[Mole is suspicious. The attitude of the person monitoring him has changed. He may have turned traitor. It’s better not to send a familiar bird to him.]
[Understood.]
Wildcat, Frog, and Mole were each held in separate cells, but they slowly made small cuts in the iron bars during the intervals when their magical power was replenishing. Frog continuously hit the window’s iron bars with thin threads of water-like magic, while Wildcat used her expertise in body enhancement to harden her nails and fingertips, continuously scratching the iron bars. Their comrades stood guard.
They wanted to overthrow the system of a nation ruled by nobles and practitioners of offensive magic. However, they were arrested during the testing phase. They couldn’t end their lives while still imprisoned. They wanted to change the system of this country. With that determination, they continued to challenge the iron bars little by little.
On the other hand, in the training grounds of the palace, the wind wizards and the practitioners of absorption and elimination magic trained day after day. Standing by the window in his office, Prime Minister Benedict Farrar looked down on them and pondered.
“Even if they learn the new magic, there won’t be any opportunity to use it unless a war breaks out. So, why not create a situation that necessitates a war?”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Pauline foresaw a major disaster five months from now.
Chapter 37: The Ultimate Topping
The Chinese-style rice porridge was warmly welcomed for being cheap, delicious, and satisfying. It sold very well.
“Miss, this is delicious!”
Men were eating hot Chinese rice porridge while panting. Children were mixing in the rich toppings and eating with spoons.
Because I decided to change one topping daily, I ended up worrying about the toppings. It’s a fun dilemma.
“Now, everyone. I made various new toppings today, so please taste them and give me your feedback.”
On the table, there were various toppings lined up, and everyone put a little on their rice porridge and ate.
“Haru, I like the sweet and savory simmered chicken.”
“I like the one where I cooked various beans and topped it with black honey.”
“Oh? What about Cyril-san?”
“They’re all delicious. But if I had to be picky, I would love it if I could have the taste of my nostalgic mother’s cooking.”
“What kind of taste is that?”
“It’s made by chopping boiled pork intestines, frying them until crispy, and sprinkling them with spicy spices and rock salt.”
Everyone who listened to the explanation had a face that said, “That sounds delicious.”
“That would go well with ale.”
“It would definitely go well with distilled spirits.”
Pauline and Victor were praising it with their mouths full.
Just imagining it made me crave the spicy fried intestines.
“I’ll make it! I can get the intestines at the butcher’s. Cyril-san, would you come with me and buy spices that resemble my mother’s taste at the spice shop?”
❂❂❂
“Haru, I want you to sprinkle green onions on it too.”
“Pauline-san, that’s definitely a winner!”
While Cyril-san tasted it, I made the spicy fried intestines. The intestines, fried until crispy and brown, had a satisfying chewiness, but when placed on the rice porridge, they became tender. The spicy flavor of the intestines soaked into the rice porridge.
Pauline closed her eyes while chewing.
“I didn’t really like intestines, but this is delicious. The key is that they’re fried well.”
Victor piled up a mountain of intestines to the point where you would think, “Is that enough?” and while chewing, he let out a sigh and said, “Delicious. . .”
“How about you, Haru? Did you like my mother’s taste?”
“Cyril-san, this is the ultimate topping. I also tried adding green onions, grated ginger, and roasted sesame, but I can keep eating it endlessly.”
“Wow, I want to try it too.”
“Me too!”
We finished eating the intestines we made together. We’ll have to make more. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s rice porridge sales.
After finishing the preparations for tomorrow, I went out to the garden. I called Kuro and stroked his back while sitting absentmindedly on a bench. Then, Cyril-san came over.
“Haru, what are you doing at this hour?”
“I’m thinking it would be nice if Victor could bathe in that golden powder here in town to help his recovery. Do you know any places where magical energy is abundant?”
Cyril-san chuckled.
“I was born and raised here. Of course, I know.”
In a hurry, I called Victor and Pauline-san as well and followed Cyril-san. In a few minutes, we saw it.
“Wow. . .”
“See? It’s amazing, right?”
“What is it, Haru, Cyril-san? Explain it to us so we can understand.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
It was a place that looked like a small park built in the middle of a residential area.
“I bought this land with my own earnings. I wanted everyone in the neighborhood to relax and be able to bathe in it.”
In the center of the small plot of land, about the size of an ordinary house, there was a round flower bed with a statue of a goddess in the middle. Golden magical energy was gushing out from around the statue. Four benches were placed around the flower bed. Deciduous trees were planted in positions where the benches would be shaded in the summer.
“Cyril-san, this is wonderful.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Victor, no matter which bench you sit on, you can bathe in the magical energy.”
“I see. Let’s try it right away.”
Pauline-san followed Victor’s lead and sat down. The golden powder from the flower bed was evenly showering the surroundings. Victor and Pauline-san were covered in golden powder all over their bodies. Before I knew it, Kuro was there too, closing his eyes and bathing in the golden powder at the edge of the flower bed. Cyril-san and I also bathed in it.
“Victor, I have a question that I’ve been wondering about.”
“What is it?”
“Do you realize where the magical energy that my body receives goes? Magical energy can help heal wounds, revitalize plants, or attack others, right? It should have some kind of energy. But when I bathe in magical energy, my body only warms up a little, and magic attacks don’t work on me. Where does the energy from the magical energy I receive go?”
“Hmm.”
Victor pondered, while Cyril-san had a puzzled expression on his face.
“Haru, haven’t you noticed?”
“Noticed what?”
“The magical energy from the earth that your body bathes in passes through your body and escapes into the ground.”
“Huh?”
When I looked at the ground Cyril-san was pointing at, it was faintly brighter. . .or so it seemed, at the spot where my feet were stepping.
“Oh, it’s passing through? The ground at my feet is slightly brighter.”
“Oh, I thought you had noticed.”
“I didn’t notice at all. I was bathed in a large amount of glowing powder, so it was hard to tell. So it passes through, huh?”
“I can’t see magical energy, so I didn’t notice. Maybe the magical energy passes through you, so your magical energy is zero.”
“I see.”
At that moment, Pauline-san made a suggestion.
“Victor, why don’t you try using an offensive magic spell on Haru in front of me? I want to see how it’s different from when you receive magical energy from the earth.”
We ended up unexpectedly conducting an experiment in the park at night.
In front of Cyril-san, who was slightly nervous, and Pauline-san, who was excited with curiosity, I stood in a defensive stance and faced Victor. The purpose this time was to see where the offensive magic spell I received would go.
“Here I go.”
“Anytime.”
Victor raised one hand to his chest and the other above his head, then swung it down. At the same time, he chanted, “Ice Lance.” A large ice spear flew towards me.
As usual, the ice spear disappeared just before touching me. Cyril-san and I were focused on the ground at my feet.
Pauline-san pressed closer.
“So? How was it?”
“The moment the ice spear disappeared, the ground at Haru’s feet glowed.”
“Yeah, I saw it too. It seems like the magical energy is returning to the earth. I’m like a lightning rod.”
Huh? Victor tilted his head.
“What’s a lightning rod?”
“It’s when you intentionally guide lightning to it and lead the lightning’s power into the ground using a metal wire. It’s to prevent houses from catching fire or being destroyed.”
“Oh, I see.”
Victor pondered.
“Well then, let’s go back. We’ll sell rice porridge from tomorrow morning!”
“Don’t forget to sell gelato too.”
“Yes, yes.”
The four of us returned to Cyril-san’s house lively.
Chapter 38: Henry’s Magic Circle and Pauline’s Letter
“We did it! We were able to combine two spells!”
Cheers erupted from the training grounds of the royal castle. Finally, the new spell was a success. Although there was only one pair so far, they were able to create a whirlwind that effectively absorbed magical power. Those who had struggled to put theory into practice were relieved.
From there, things progressed quickly. The pairs consisting of a wind magic user and a drain magic user began succeeding one after another in creating the whirlwind. The unfortunate prisoners who were targeted as subjects were drained of their magic power one by one.
The report of everyone’s success reached the Prime Minister shortly after.
“Alright, now let’s make it larger so that it can be used in warfare.”
Brent nodded in response to the Prime Minister’s words. He had a plan in mind. Brent headed straight to the summoner wizard Henry.
He knocked on the door, and a weary-looking Henry opened it.
“How is the summoning going?”
“I’m sorry.”
“No good?”
“Yes. We’ve been searching for summoning targets every day, but no matter how many times we try, we can’t find any suitable subjects. Brent-sama, perhaps Victor’s summoning was a success. And maybe Haru Ayukawa is a genuine saint.”
Brent let out a deep sigh and stopped his subordinate.
“Stop. Don’t say that out loud. The Prime Minister didn’t consider it a failure. If we were to say that we succeeded now, it would be criticizing the Prime Minister’s judgment.”
“Y-Yes, you’re right. I apologize. Besides, Haru Ayukawa didn’t have any magical power. So, what is your business today?”
“Oh, right. Henry, can you create a convergence and expansion magic circle?”
“Yes, I can. But which magic do you want to expand? The fire and ice magic users wouldn’t like it. It would make it difficult for them to take credit.”
“Don’t worry. This time, it’s for the wind magic and drain magic users.”
“Ah, the new spell, right?”
“That’s right. It’s the Prime Minister’s instruction. It’s meant for use in warfare.”
“Warfare? I thought we had good relations with neighboring countries.”
“It’s probably to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. Anyway, I’m counting on you.”
“Understood. Then I’ll go and observe this new spell.”
The magic Henry was asked to perform was not simply enlarging one spell, but using a magic circle to combine multiple identical spells into one powerful spell. Since summoning magic also involved using magic circles, Henry was skilled in creating them.
After going to the training grounds, Henry would soon find himself struggling with an invisible new spell. The target of the spell couldn’t be seen, and its strength and direction were also invisible.
“This is…troublesome. If it’s meant for warfare, it must be powerful and accurate. I accepted it without thinking, but I can’t make excuses if it doesn’t succeed.”
Henry returned to his room and began working on creating the magic circle.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
That night, Pauline’s foresight revealed an even clearer vision of the future of this devastated country.
“What should I do? Something has started. What on earth has happened?”
Should I contact Brent? But if I do, he’ll tell me to come back. My hundred-day vacation is almost over. But can I really leave Haru in this state?
Seeing Pauline in a fluster, Cyril brewed tea and handed it to her without asking any questions.
Even now, Pauline believed that Haru was the saint who would protect this country from the great disaster. So Pauline reported the current situation without disclosing their location. To summarize the contents. . .
“I am currently with Haru Ayukawa. Last night, I had a foresight of the approaching disaster. I still believe that Haru is the saint. Therefore, I want to stay by Haru’s side and observe how the situation unfolds. If I can use the remaining vacation days after my hundred-day leave is over, I would like to use them. However, I am prepared for the possibility that this request will be denied, resulting in my dismissal from the royal castle.”
Pauline, who had lived her life with the principle of not causing trouble and not opposing others since she could remember, wrote her first letter asserting herself. Cyril watched over Pauline nearby.
After finishing the letter, Pauline got on the carriage driven by Cyril and went to deliver the letter.
“If my value lies in making accurate predictions, then being with Haru is more important than my duties at the royal castle. Yes, I’m not mistaken. This should be the right choice. Even if I get dismissed, I won’t regret it. It’ll be fine.”
As she walked while talking to herself, Pauline encouraged herself, speaking her thoughts out loud.
After requesting the letter at the counter, Pauline stared at her trembling fingertips, feeling unfamiliar with this act. Cyril, who had followed her, enveloped her hands with both of his.
“If you get dismissed from your duties at the castle, you can live with me. If you don’t mind, that is.”
“. . . Huh?”
Surprised by the unexpected offer, Pauline became flustered. Cyril smiled while still holding her hand.
That morning, the users of Drain and Nullify Magic were exhausted. The previous night, the prisoners of the wizard prison had escaped.
Upon realizing the prisoners’ escape in the middle of the night, the guards rang the bell and summoned the Drain and Nullify wizards using carrier birds. If a wizard escaped, their magic power had to be drained first to immobilize them.
It was discovered that the prisoners took advantage of not having their magic completely drained and slowly cut through the iron bars and escaped through the windows.
“It’s because you guys slacked off!”
The prison manager was furious. The Drain and Nullify wizards had no words to respond and hung their heads. They knew that if they made excuses like being busy and tired, they would receive even harsher reprimands.
The prison manager, a user of Fire Magic, had always been domineering towards the Drain and Nullify wizards.
The escaped prisoners fled while stealing magic power from the wizards they encountered along the way. However, in the end, they were stopped at the entrance of the royal castle by non-magical soldiers.
These soldiers had no magic power, and the other magic skills they possessed were insufficient. While they hesitated, they were surrounded and captured by members of the elite Mage Corps, who were skilled in offensive magic.
Afterward, once all the escaped prisoners had their magic power completely drained, it was already dawn. So, by the time it was time to showcase the new magic to the Prime Minister, the Drain and Nullify wizards were all exhausted.
“Now, all of you. Today, we will be showcasing the new magic to Prime Minister-sama for the first time. Make sure there are no failures.”
Upon hearing this from the Mage Corps Captain, Brent, both the Wind Magic users and the Drain and Nullify Magic users, although tired, became enthusiastic. Henry, who was in charge of the magic circle for expansion and convergence, was also enthusiastic.
Due to the tired participants’ determination of “this is the moment to shine, we can’t use tiredness as an excuse,” the new magic became slightly exaggerated. Henry had increased the magnification rate slightly more than the calculated number to deal with the unseen new magic.
In this way, as everyone became more and more conscious of making it bigger and bigger, the showcased large-scale whirlwind was activated without anyone being able to see it.
It was a truly strange showcase.
The first activation of the new magic was invisible, and since the prisoners who were supposed to confirm the magic’s effect had their magic power drained the night before, there was no opportunity for human experimentation. It ended with just an atmosphere of “it seems the spell was activated.”
Seeing the Prime Minister’s stern face due to the showcase with unknown results, the magic users became anxious, and during the second attempt, everyone put their full effort into casting the new magic. As a result, the converged and expanded whirlwind became seventy to eighty times larger than when Conrad was attacked.
The second experiment also couldn’t be seen by anyone. The Prime Minister said, “Next time, use the prisoners as targets so we can observe the effect,” and the showcase ended with a subtle atmosphere.
The gathered wizards disbanded, but the unleashed whirlwind moved forward, leaving the wizards in the training grounds behind and absorbing the magical power of the wizards walking along the corridor.
The magical power-holding maids, the fire wizard cook, and the water wizard working in the garden suddenly collapsed, causing small commotions throughout the castle.
The whirlwind, which was unexpectedly large from its creation, slowly advanced, getting closer to the presence of magical power and absorbing it.
Eventually, the whirlwind collided with the high walls surrounding the castle but effortlessly crossed over them and continued its journey into the streets of the capital city.
Those who collapsed inside the castle fell into a deep sleep. Soon, rumors spread from person to person, saying, “It seems there was a rampage during the unveiling of a new magic.”
Upon receiving reports of the depletion of magical power within the castle, the Prime Minister’s understanding ended with a mere acknowledgment, saying, “Hmm, the effect was indeed successful.”
The feeble wizards, upon being created, lost their power and disappeared once their magical power was absorbed. However, the [entity] created within the castle continued to absorb magical power without vanishing.
The [entity] that infiltrated the capital city slowly moved forward, wriggling and absorbing the magical power of the working wizards in the city.
In the capital city, many wizards gathered from all over the country to work. Suddenly, these wizards experienced a depletion of magical power and collapsed in a panic. Although their lives were not taken, they all fell into a state of unconsciousness for two to three days due to the depletion of magical power.
After traversing the lively city for several days, the [entity] entered the rural area where fields and forests coexisted, leaving behind dozens of victims.
Birds, sensing the presence of unfamiliar magical power for the first time, flew away, while goats, horses, and cows in the pasture tried to escape and became agitated. Some livestock even broke through fences to run away.
Causing panic among the frightened livestock, the [entity] entered the forest.
The dense and powerful concentration of magical power caused wild animals to panic. Rabbits, foxes, wildcats, deer, and boars, which usually avoided human eyes, fled through the forest in a state of confusion, regardless of being predator or prey.
“People in the rural area noticed the animals’ panic and became restless. However, since there were few people with magical power in the rural area, no harm befell them, and the [entity] passed by without a clear cause.
Guided by the magical veins flowing throughout the world, the [entity] slowly made its way to Sloane Territory, located to the west of the capital city.
“Lord Conrad! Something terrible is happening!”
The news reached Conrad Sloane a few days after the new magic was showcased in the royal castle.
“What’s going on? What’s the commotion about?”
“Wild animals are rampaging and heading towards our territory as if being chased by something. In addition, our officials in the capital city have informed us that those with magical power are experiencing consecutive depletions and falling into an unconscious state. Should we inform those with magical power?”
“Depletion of magical power…”
Conrad recalled the incident of magical power depletion from some time ago. He also remembered Haru’s words when he was affected, saying, “It’s because of the whirlwind that absorbs magical power.”
“Have the hunters protect the town. Whether with bows, spears, or stones, make the animals change their direction. Contact those with magical power individually. And then, sound the alarm for [evacuation to their homes]. We must protect the people from the beasts.”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Only four months remained until the great disaster foreseen by Pauline.
Chapter 40: Accumulated Magic and Yakiniku Night
Shooing away the birds and startling the wild animals, it moved. The grown creature was now the size of a small tornado. However, it remained invisible and made no sound.
As its size increased, its speed also slightly increased. Absorbing the magical energy from the fertile land of Sloane territory, the thick golden pillar grew thicker, and as a result, its height gradually increased.
Thanks to the abundant magical energy of Sloane territory, there were more magic users among the residents compared to other territories. Upon receiving news of the damage in the capital, there was time in Sloane territory to inform the residents about the incident of magical energy depletion. However, even if magic-using residents took shelter inside their homes, those with stronger magical abilities suffered from the effects of magical energy depletion.
Lord Conrad Sloane gathered his wife, children, and magic-using servants in the stone basement. As a precaution in case someone lost consciousness, a few non-magic-using servants were also accompanying them.
“Husband, aren’t you going to use the magical barrier?”
“If we use magic, it might attract it instead. Let’s wait for it to pass by like this.”
Fortunately, Conrad’s manor seemed to be off the route, and nothing happened. While listening to the information about magical energy depletion coming in one after another from the servants, Conrad marked the points of damage on the map and waited for the moment when the affected areas passed by.
The next day, news of the damage came from various places. Although there were several cases of magical energy depletion, there were no fatalities. Conrad breathed a sigh of relief and climbed up to the lookout tower.
“I still can’t see anything with my own eyes.”
As he was about to give up and descend from the lookout tower, he realized that he couldn’t hear the usually noisy bird chirping at all. He noticed that he was enveloped in an unprecedented silence.
“What an eerie silence. Something definitely passed by. Now, where did that something go?”
Although it was not visible to Lord Conrad Sloane, the golden tornado was a few kilometers away.
By the time it reached the edge of Sloane territory, the upper part of the magical tornado had reached the height of the clouds, and the absorbed magical energy had begun to form cloud-like accumulations of magic in the sky.
The magical accumulation, several hundred meters in diameter, rotated like a typhoon while being accompanied by the silent tornado. In the land beneath the magical accumulation, all the animals and birds had already fled, and the forest was eerily quiet.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Sumner Territory’s town of Deals. From the perspective of Sloane Territory, it is a border town located beyond Heartfield Territory.
“Haru, the strawberry-flavored gelato is sold out.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Pauline-san. Take it easy now.”
“Haru, we’re running out of toppings for the rice porridge.”
“Oh, Victor, did you put too much topping?”
“Is that so? Sorry about that.”
We live a very ordinary life. The so-called “magic depletion epidemic” posted on the bulletin board hasn’t occurred here in the town of Deals.
“How about having steak tonight? It’ll cheer you up, Pauline-san.”
“Oh, how delightful. I’ll have plenty of garlic and salt, please.”
“I’ll have salt and chopped onions.”
“Understood, understood. Shall we choose the meat at the butcher’s on our way back? I wonder what flavor Cyril-san likes.”
Then, Pauline-san, with a slightly embarrassed expression, tells me,
“He seems to like it with plenty of butter, less salt, and served with potatoes.”
Ara?
(When did they have such a conversation?) I smile and gaze at Pauline, finding it endearing.
“It just happened. We happened to talk about the doneness of steak.”
She blushes.
The sight of Cyril-san, who used to dislike humans, and Pauline-san, who has been secluded in the castle for twenty years, getting along so well is always heartwarming. I hope they end up together, but I’m careful not to say anything unnecessary.
“Haru, do you have any preferences for seasoning steak?”
“Hmm, I think the same as Victor. Just salt and chopped onions.”
“Oh, talking about it is making me hungry.”
“Yeah, let’s head home soon. We’ll buy lots of meat. And let’s get some chicken for Kuro.”
To make Pauline-san, who seemed a little down, laugh, I chatted more than usual. Victor also joined in. Our life was peaceful, and I wished it could continue like this forever.
At night, we lit a charcoal fire in the brick stove in the garden and grilled the meat. The sizzling fat burned, filling the air with smoke and a delicious aroma. The four of us chatted while drinking wine.
Cyril-san was working on renovating his family’s house, and before we knew it, the wallpaper had been replaced and the doorknobs had been changed to stylish ones. I admired how effortlessly he could handle these things and praised Cyril-san while grilling meat with Pauline-san.
I bought chicken for Kuro, so I called him over. However, Kuro just puffed up his tail like a brush and kept fluttering around, paying no attention to the chicken.
“What’s wrong, Kuro?”
“Meow meow!”
Kuro seemed restless.
Chapter 41: Delivered letter from Pauline
From the capital city, Sumner Territory was located far in the southeast. It was morning in the border town of Deals, situated at the edge.
While simmering rice porridge, I focused on making toppings. Yesterday, the sweet and savory minced fish was well received by the women. It tasted delicious when sprinkled with finely chopped ginger and plenty of green onions.
“Kuro, what’s wrong? You’ve been restless all day.”
“Meow meow meow!”
Kuro somersaulted in the air multiple times, flapping its little wings and flying around the ceiling.
“We’re going to sell a lot of rice porridge again today, right? I’ll buy your favorite cheese on the way back. Today’s toppings are sweet and savory simmered nuts and bacon, and ginger-flavored chicken soboro. I hope they sell well.”
Kuro wasn’t listening. It puffed up its tail like a brush and raised the fur on its back. By the time I, Victor, and Pauline-san went out to sell rice porridge and gelato, Kuro was nowhere to be seen.
The town was bustling today.
People were gathering here and there, whispering to each other. I wondered what was going on, and then I noticed a paper posted on the bulletin board in the square. For those who couldn’t read, an official was loudly reading it aloud.
“There is a severe magic depletion illness spreading in the capital city. The disease is also spreading to the Sloane Territory. Some people suddenly collapse and get injured. Those with magic abilities should refrain from going out and stay indoors as much as possible.”
Upon hearing that, a few individuals hurriedly left. Were they magic users? Most people seemed to be without magic. Their reaction was more like, “Oh, I see.”
“They’re calling it a magic depletion epidemic, but Victor, is there such a contagious disease?”
“I’ve never heard of it. From the capital city to the Sloane Territory, huh? It would be good if it stops there.”
Deals is located by the sea and the border. Although it is a distance from both the capital city and the Sloane Territory, if it’s an epidemic, this place won’t be safe either. But right now, there is not enough information to take any action. I worry that Victor, who hasn’t fully recovered, might be in danger.
Furthermore, Pauline-san has been acting strange since three days ago. Even when selling gelato, she lacks energy and is restless. Even now, she’s sitting on a kitchen chair, not saying a word.
“Pauline-san, did you have a bad vision?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I had a clear vision of something bad. It felt like taking a step towards a great disaster in this country.”
“What did you see?”
“Well, the ground was torn up in various places, buildings disappeared as if they were torn off, and animals went on a rampage in herds.”
I had a vague sense of unease. If Victor’s summoning was successful, it seems that I will have to do something about the disaster. But buildings disappearing? No, no, it’s too big of a scale for me to handle, right? My mind was swirling with thoughts.
Victor, who was chilling the gelato, seemed worried about me.
“Haru, what’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking if I could be useful in preventing the ground from being torn up or buildings from being destroyed, you know. . .”
“Because Haru can erase magic?”
“Yeah. Hypothetically, if I were the saint, and if I could be of help, then I guess I have no choice but to do my best. Lately, I’ve been thinking that way. After all, Victor summoned me with all his strength, even to the point of endangering his own body.”
“Haru. . .”
“Haru. . .”
Victor and Pauline looked at me with a sad expression, their brows furrowed.
“Stop it. If you look at me like that, it feels like my life is in danger.”
I said it in a joking manner, but no one laughed. Wait, is my life really in danger?
(Don’t get depressed over hypothetical situations!) I scolded myself and focused on my business. That day, rice porridge and gelato sold out quickly. Above all, above all, let’s temporarily forget about the saint (hypothetically). It’s too much for my heart.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
“Pauline! How dare you shirk your responsibilities like this! How selfish of you! What a useless person you are!”
Jim Byrd, the head of the General Affairs Department, read the letter he received and stomped his foot in anger. Pauline, who was about to finish her hundred-day vacation, had written that she wanted more time off and was willing to be fired if it wasn’t allowed.
“I have to report this to Brent.”
Furious that Pauline was not working despite having the foresight, Jim Byrd rushed to the room of the Magic Corps Captain, Brent Baynes.
After reading the letter handed to him by Jim Byrd, Brent’s attention was drawn to a different part.
“Is Pauline with Haru Ayukawa?”
According to a report from a lord that had been circulated and read previously by the Prime Minister, Haru Ayukawa possessed special abilities. It was written that she could not only see magical power with her eyes but also “erase magic that causes magic depletion” and “nullify offensive magic.”
Brent hurriedly headed to the Prime Minister’s room. Although he didn’t know Haru’s whereabouts, he had to report that the visionary wizard, Pauline, was with Haru.
Prime Minister Benedict was surprised when he read Pauline’s letter. The subordinate who had been arranged to bring Haru had returned empty-handed. Despite losing any further leads, they unexpectedly confirmed Haru’s existence.
“Where is this letter from?”
“It seems they used a carriage to collect letters from various places. We will investigate, but we only have a rough idea of the general direction.”
“That will do. Just find out which direction the carriage came from. It could be a clue to bring back both Pauline and Haru.”
“Understood. And what should we do with Pauline?”
“Don’t sever ties. Let her keep her position.”
“Understood.”
Leaving the Prime Minister’s office and heading to his own room, Brent chewed on something bitter.
“If only we hadn’t abandoned Haru Ayukawa, we wouldn’t have needed to search. . . No, now is not the time to blame others.”
The recent incidents of magic depletion in the capital city had been occurring since shortly after the unveiling of the new magic. The fact that there were no casualties was a small relief, but if that new magic was the cause, even Brent’s position would be in jeopardy.
“It couldn’t be that the new magic was too powerful, right?”
A chill ran down Brent’s spine.
Chapter 42: King and Crown Prince
In a luxurious room deep within the royal palace, the king and crown prince sat facing the Prime Minister.
“Benedict, when you read these two reports in chronological order, don’t they seem like separate incidents? But to me, they appear to be part of a single event, where this new magic was created and immediately followed by the outbreak of this magic loss disease.”
“Your Majesty, that. . .”
“Perhaps the wizards unintentionally poured excessive magic because it was an invisible magic? I want to hear a direct report from the wizards who were present. Gather them immediately.”
King Wilfred Argain Kholdar watched the Prime Minister hurriedly leave and thought to himself, “Could this be the beginning of a major disaster?”
The magic loss disease that occurred within the royal castle had been occurring continuously, changing its course around the Sloane territory in the southwest of the capital city, and was now heading towards Heartfield. Looking at the traces on the map, it was clear that no new magic loss had occurred in the locations where it had previously happened. If it were an infectious disease, magic loss would occur one after another. That was pointed out to the crown prince last night.
“Father, it seems as if something large that absorbs magic has passed through.”
The crown prince, Eldred, expressed his opinion while looking at the map that indicated the time and location of the magic loss occurrences. The increasing number of incidents showed that the number of victims was growing, and the range was expanding. The numbers indicated that something that steals magic was growing.
And now.
“The ancient capital Heartfield is close to the royal capital and has many magic users working there. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the majority of wizards from all over the country gather in the royal capital. If something big were to return to the royal capital, it would be a disaster.”
“Indeed. It might be better to consider that an unforeseen accident occurred during the creation of new magic. Eldred, I want you to lead the army to the Heartfield territory and evacuate the magic users from the path of destruction. Also, assess the situation. Choose soldiers without magic. For caution’s sake, leave only you as the magic user and strategize with Vice Commander Douglas Edwards.”
“Understood. Immediately.”
Prince Eldred, who was standing next to the king, headed towards the military tower. He thought that he needed to take the lead in this matter as soon as possible.
The existence of wizards is the key to the strength of the Kingdom of Kholdar. If other countries were to learn that the wizards, one after another, are experiencing a depletion of magic, they might see it as an excellent opportunity to wage war.
“To rely on soldiers without magic. Nevertheless, how can we find an invisible enemy?”
Eldred, who was skilled in powerful ice and fire magic, felt frustrated.
“Your Highness, why have you come to a place like this? What’s the matter?”
Vice Commander Douglas Edwards stood up from his chair, surprised to see the prince entering the room without being accompanied.
“I urgently want to take soldiers to Heartfield. All the soldiers I bring should be without magic. We’ll need. . . let’s see, about three hundred.”
“What is the purpose?”
“To evacuate the magic users from the damage caused by the depletion of magic.”
“Evacuation, you say. There’s a rumor that they’ll be safe if they go into the basement.”
“No, even indoors and in the basement, there have been numerous reports of magic depletion coming from the Sloane territory. Once the evacuation in the Heartfield territory is complete, we’ll assess the future course of action. If the royal capital is in danger, we’ll evacuate the wizards there as well. If they keep collapsing for several days, both the functions of the royal capital and the military will be paralyzed.”
“When you say ‘course of action,’ do you mean it’s not an illness?”
Eldred looked straight into Douglas’s eyes and nodded.
“That’s right. There’s a possibility that it’s \runaway of new magic. If it’s a runaway of magic that drains magic, we can’t take the magic users with us.”
“Understood. I will select soldiers as quickly as possible.”
“I’m counting on you.”
In this way, three hundred soldiers without magic were gathered, and they headed south towards the Heartfield territory. They were unaware that the town of Deals, where Haru and the others were, was in the neighboring Sumner territory.
There were few settlements within the borders, with only simple facilities like checkpoints, and the rest was mostly deep mountains.
The soldiers were positioned at a distance from each other, each holding a cage with mice or small birds.
“Listen, if the animals start to get agitated, blow the whistle immediately. The person at the far end should light the signal fire. Our mission this time is not to defeat the enemy, but to determine their location. Remember that. We must protect the magic users in the royal capital at all costs.”
For Prince Eldred, who usually used messenger birds for communication, this was quite cumbersome, but the signal fire and whistle were the best desperate measures they had.
The soldiers holding the cages were perplexed. If the animals start to get agitated, can they really discern the difference between an invisible enemy and when forest animals come and the birds and mice get noisy? It was troubling.
Out of the three hundred soldiers, one hundred were scattered throughout the Heartfield forest, and the remaining two hundred were deployed sporadically from the border to the Sumner territory.
Two days passed in this state. The signal fire rose from the soldier at the far end of the Heartfield territory. It wasn’t because the birds in the cages were making noise. Rather, even before that, the birds and animals in the forest rushed towards the soldiers all at once.
“Whoa! What is this!”
Rabbits, foxes, raccoons, deer, bears, and countless other animals ran towards them as if being chased by something. The sky was covered with birds of various sizes, making it dim.
“It’s said that there’s no harm to soldiers without magic,” they had heard, but the soldiers’ knees trembled, and they felt a chill from the tension.
Although they couldn’t see it with their eyes, a golden tornado was approaching very close.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Only three months remained until the occurrence of the great disaster foreseen by Pauline.
The accumulation of magical energy in the sky continued to rotate, causing the magic to rage within. Eventually, the dense magical energies collided, creating sparks. Countless lights sparked within the accumulation of magical energy, becoming visible to all humans regardless of whether they possessed magic or not.
“Hey, what is that?”
Residents of Heartfield and Sumner pointed up at the sky. An unfamiliar golden cloud, shining brightly, swirled and slowly moved from Heartfield towards Sumner.
People finally caught a glimpse of the formidable enemy.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Prince Eldred Argain Kholdar and three hundred soldiers led by Vice Commander Douglas Edwards were on the verge of panic.
In the forest, the hundred soldiers stationed there struggled to contain the birds and mice that were trying to escape from the baskets they held. Wild animals ran with bloodshot eyes, ignoring the soldiers or, in unfortunate cases, knocking them over.
As the animals ran on the ground, birds desperately flapped their wings and fled towards Sumner. Following them, a slow-moving golden tornado approached, but the soldiers without magic felt almost nothing as it passed through. Only a few of them felt as if a warm mass of air had passed by.
However, one soldier looked up, eyes widening and mouth agape. Floating in the previously clear sky were clusters of sparks resembling clouds, crackling with sparks.
Blowing a whistle, he pointed upwards to his distant comrades. The soldier who saw the direction also blew a whistle and pointed up. Prince Eldred and Vice Commander Douglas eventually noticed the clusters of sparks above their heads.
Douglas, the Vice Commander, was the first to regain his composure.
“Is that the main body? It’s convenient that we can see it now. Evacuate the residents with magical abilities immediately.”
The whistle used as a signal was blown twice in a predetermined rhythm, repeated again and again. Whistles sounded one after another, and the soldiers in the town went from house to house, conveying the message, “Evacuate if you have magical abilities! Or risk running out of magic!”
“Your Highness, please move away from that cloud! It’s dangerous!”
Prompted by Douglas, Prince Eldred tried to mount his horse, but the horse was agitated and impossible to ride. The horse reared up, threatening the soldier holding the reins, and finally broke free, running in a direction perpendicular to the cloud’s path.
“Arion! Wait! Arion!”
Eldred’s horse was usually loyal to him and was dumbfounded. Douglas shouted,
“Your Highness! Please run in the same direction! Hurry!”
Accompanied by two soldiers, Eldred ran through the forest towards the direction the horse had fled. However, the tornado, attracted by the prince’s strong magic, changed its course and slowly moved in that direction. In the difficult terrain of the forest, Eldred was eventually caught up.
“Kah.”
While running, Eldred let out a small breath and, still in motion, plunged headfirst into the ground.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
The two soldiers who rushed over quickly lifted him up, but Eldred was unconscious.
“He’s still breathing. I’ll carry him. You support him so he doesn’t fall.”
The larger soldier carried Eldred on his back, and they hurriedly moved. Eldred, who was unconscious, was limp, so the other soldier had to support his body from behind, slowing their pace.
After absorbing the prince’s magic, the golden tornado returned to its original path and slowly moved south towards Sumner, much further south than the urban area of Heartfield.
Sumner was a territory that was almost square in shape, with the eastern side bordering a neighboring country, the south facing the sea, the west-northwest bordering the wildcat-inhabited Urtius territory, the northwest bordering Heartfield, and the north surrounded by mountains and forests. The capital city was adjacent to the north of Heartfield.
Vice Commander Douglas Edwards pondered the situation while looking up at the golden cloud. The plan was simply to manage the evacuation of the residents and prevent a depletion of magic.
“If it continues east or south, it will go beyond our borders. I can only hope it continues straight towards the border.”
In Sumner, soldiers with rosters in hand visited the homes of those with magical abilities, urging them to evacuate. Those called upon with magical abilities fled on horses, carriages, or on foot with only a few belongings. Everyone looked up at the golden cloud in the sky multiple times as they escaped. Many of them held positions such as district committee members or heads of trading companies due to their magical abilities.
“Vice Commander! The prince has collapsed!”
On the back of a soldier who had taken a long detour and finally returned to the unit, the prince remained unconscious.
“Did he get hit?”
“Yes. But he is unharmed. It seems he’s just sleeping.”
“He seems to have lost consciousness. This is bad. If such incidents happen frequently in the town. . . For now, let’s hurry the prince into the tent!”
Vice Commander Douglas realized that he had underestimated the seriousness of this incident.
He had thought that he didn’t need to personally intervene as the vice commander. However, he became aware of the danger if this matter became known to other countries.
Chapter 44: Rumors of the Golden Cloud
Strange rumors spread in the town of Deals, the eastern gateway to the Kingdom of Kholdar.
“A golden cloud appeared to the west of the territory. The army is coming and evacuating those with magical powers. It seems that those with magical powers lose all their magic and collapse when they get close to the golden cloud.”
The first ones to hear these rumors were a couple who managed Cyril-san’s family home. It seems that the rumors quietly spread through the town’s shopping district. Apparently, someone who took refuge at a relative’s house mentioned it, and that relative talked about it while selling vegetables at the market.
“I heard that Pauline-sama has magical powers. I hope she has a designated place to evacuate to in case of emergency.”
They worried about it, but the couple themselves were relaxed. Since they didn’t have magical powers, they had a sense of “those with magical powers have it tough.”
Upon hearing this, Pauline-san, Victor, and I exchanged glances. Pauline-san had never mentioned anything about a golden cloud before.
“Pauline, I’ll make the gelato, so can I ask for a more detailed vision? Let’s start with the situation in Sumner tomorrow. See if it’s related to the golden cloud.”
“Understood.”
Pauline-san immediately sat down on a chair in the kitchen and began her vision. She closed her eyes and focused her magical power and consciousness on the tips of her fingers.
While cooking red rice porridge, I glanced at Pauline-san’s state from time to time. She looked serious and dignified as she performed her vision. Cyril-san, who happened to come into the kitchen, noticed our behavior and quietly sat down diagonally across from Pauline-san.
I chopped wild boar belly meat for the topping of today’s porridge and sautéed it with garlic, shallots, and chopped herbs. The broth simmered and a delicious aroma filled the air. Victor heated milk with sugar in a pot and slowly stirred it with a wooden spoon.
Eventually, Pauline-san opened her eyes with a snap.
“Nothing will happen tomorrow. The golden cloud will just grow larger.”
“Do you know where the cloud is right now? Any idea of its location?”
“No, I can only see the forest endlessly. There are no landmarks.”
“I see. So, for now, we’re safe tomorrow. . . Well then, shall we go about our business as usual?”
We loaded all the goods onto the carriage that Cyril-san had modified, and we headed to the town square. Everyone seemed lost in thought. Unable to bear it, I was the first to speak up.
“Could that golden cloud that steals magical power be related to the whirlwind?”
“I was thinking the same thing. But those who controlled the whirlwind were captured, and moreover, all the ones I faced had weak magical powers. They didn’t possess the vast magical power to create a cloud like that.”
The three of us tilted our heads as we headed to the square, where a crowd had gathered.
“I wonder what’s going on.”
“I’ll go take a look.”
Victor ran towards the crowd but quickly returned.
“It said that those with magical powers must go to the mayor’s place. And according to the townspeople, those who headed to the mayor’s house, adults and children alike, hurriedly packed their belongings and went somewhere.”
“They must be evacuating them.”
That was the only explanation I could think of.
“Well, according to Pauline-san, today and tomorrow should be fine, so let’s get down to business as usual.”
I spoke cheerfully, but deep down, I had made up my mind.
An invisible threat had emerged, and as someone summoned to this country, I could see it. I pondered the meaning of it repeatedly. No matter how many times I thought about it, there was only one answer.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
In terms of the ratio, there were few people with magical powers in this town, so the crowd was no different from usual. We sold rice porridge with toppings, gelato, and hot tea. “Let’s make money while we can,” I said, and Victor laughed and helped me. Pauline-san had a slightly gloomy expression.
For over a week, we worked as usual. The town’s situation remained unchanged. Pauline-san’s visions only mentioned that there was a golden cloud above the forest, slowly growing and moving.
A change occurred in our lives about ten days after the notice was posted. Many soldiers arrived in the town of Deals. There was a person who seemed to hold a high position, and when Victor and Pauline-san saw that person, they froze.
“Do you know that person?”
“Haru, that’s Vice Commander Douglas Edwards of the Kingdom’s army.”
“Why is Douglas-sama here? Even if there’s a shortage of magical power, it doesn’t mean they’ll die.”
“Hey, Pauline, isn’t that. . . the Crown Prince?”
“Oh, you’re right. Why is the Crown Prince here?”
I listened silently as the two exchanged whispers. My heart was restless.
We temporarily stopped the carriage at the entrance of the square, unsure of what to do, but the sparkling prince suddenly turned his face towards us.
“Oh no. I feel like our eyes met.”
“Victor, it seems like our eyes did meet. He’s coming this way.”
“Huh? Victor, Pauline-san, what should we do? Is it okay if we’re found out?”
Victor looked at me with a dark smile.
“Haru was kicked out, and I’ve been fired from the royal castle. We just have to act naturally. Besides, Haru isn’t even from this country.”
Then Pauline-san put her hand on her forehead and muttered.
“I. . . might be in trouble. I’ve already used up all my approved vacation days, and I don’t know if I’ve been fired or if I’m on unauthorized leave.”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Only two months remained until the great disaster that Pauline foresaw.
Three days had passed since the prince collapsed.
“Oh, Victor! And Pauline is here too. Long time no see.”
“Crown Prince Eldred, it’s been a while.”
Pauline-san greeted, and Victor silently bowed his head. It seems that the prince is unaware of Pauline’s unauthorized absence from work.
“I heard that Victor fell ill and quit his duties at the castle. Are you okay now?”
“…Yes. I have almost recovered.”
“When did Pauline arrive here?”
“Well, it’s been a while.”
“And you there, could it be that you were the summoned person back then?”
“Yes, I’m Ayukawa Haru.”
“Hmm. So Pauline, who had the foresight, Victor, who summoned, and Haru from the other world, are all gathered here. I see.”
While exchanging greetings, the Vice Commander also arrived. I have a feeling that things are going to get troublesome.
Pauline-san had the darkest expression. She had seen it in her daily “foresight” last night. A golden cloud was coming to this town, Deals Town, and even to this square.
“There hasn’t been a major disaster, but if it’s about draining magical power, Victor and the rest should evacuate. But…”
“I won’t evacuate. If that cloud is related to Haru, I want to be by Haru’s side.”
“That’s right. I feel the same. I’ll accompany Haru.”
And so, the three of us came to do business as usual. As for me… After much hesitation, I chose to confront the cloud. I thought that if I ran away, it would be denying the power that they, who have become like family to me, possess.
While I was thinking about last night, Pauline-san poked me in the back. It seems she noticed that I was thinking about something else in front of the prince.
“I want to talk to you guys for a moment.”
The prince said that, and we obediently followed him and the important person from the military. My gelato is going to melt… I asked the soldiers nearby for a favor.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
“First, take a look at this.”
The prince guided us to a room in a building that seemed to be temporarily used by the Chamber of Commerce, and he immediately got to the point. Spread out before us was a map with X marks and what seemed to be dates and numbers written on it.
“These are the dates and locations where magic users collapsed. I also fell asleep for two days after having my magical power drained in the neighboring Heartfield territory. It happened here. Can you notice anything by looking at this?”
“Does this mean that everything started from the royal castle?”
Victor quickly understood.
“That’s right. Moreover, just before the first magical power depletion, there was a demonstration of new magic at the training ground. That’s why I believe that the root cause of this incident is the runaway of the new magic.”
“What kind of magic is the new magic?”
Pauline-san asked the question.
“It’s a combination of absorption magic and wind magic that steals the enemy’s magical power. Originally, it was a magic used by rebels. The Prime Minister proposed to use it in war, so Summoner Henry used a magic circle. The new magic released by twenty pairs of wizards converged and expanded.”
“Henry, huh? He is an excellent summoner, but when expanding and releasing the new magic, did he properly incorporate a way to end it in the magic circle?”
“Oh, Victor, as expected. Henry heard the rebels say, ‘If you just release that magic and steal magical power, it will disappear,’ so he didn’t include a means to end it in the magic circle.”
“What a thing! The rebels were inexperienced and had weak magical power. However, the wizards working at the royal castle are different. Their magical power is incomparably stronger. To gather twenty pairs of them and further amplify it without providing a means to converge it… It’s beyond reckless!”
“That’s right. Listen, all of you. We will hold you responsible for this later. But for now, the priority is to prevent further harm to the magic users. We must not let the public see the magic users collapsing. This is a border town. Many people from other countries come and go. We cannot let them know that our country is in such a state and that we are unable to handle it.”
“Your Highness, I foresaw it earlier. The golden cloud will come to this town, to this square, today. It is likely related to the major disaster I foresaw. However, the major disaster will definitely not happen for another week.”
“Pauline, are you sure about that? If you can see the cloud’s movements in advance, it would be very helpful.”
“Yes. It will definitely come to this town.”
“I see. Let’s inform the magic users who have been evacuated as well. They were hurriedly evacuated, so they must be worried about their homes and jobs.”
Huh? This prince, he’s quite a considerate person, isn’t he?
“Hmm? It seems noisy outside.”
Saying that, the prince opened the window of the room and looked outside. We also stretched our necks to see outside.
Outside, soldiers were distributing the rice porridge I brought in the carriage, along with toppings, gelato, and tea. The soldiers lined up to receive them and happily ate them.
“I told the soldiers earlier to ‘eat them all together before the goods go bad.’”
“I see. Haru. We did something foolish enough to kick you out of the royal palace and didn’t expect to receive such treatment, even expected to be resented. Later, we asked the Prime Minister and apologized for what we had done, then we discussed with my father and searched for you. But by that time, you were no longer in the capital.”
“Is that so?”
“I didn’t expect that you would be kicked out of the castle without any gratitude. It was rude of us. The Prime Minister’s oversight is the royal family’s oversight. I’m truly sorry. This is how it is. Due to our reckless behavior and the runaway of the new magic, the Prime Minister is currently under suspension.”
Knowing that the people of the royal family, whom I had resented so much, had more reasonable thoughts than I had imagined, my anger diminished.
“Your Highness, please raise your head. Let’s join forces and face the disaster together.”
Chapter 46: Saint girl (tentative)
Since we arrived at the plaza, we have been discussing with the prince and Vice Commander Douglas-sama.
That I can see magical power.
That I can see whirlwinds that steal magical power.
That I can nullify magic attacks.
That I have a monster under my command.
After much deliberation, I also mentioned Kuro. Both His Highness and Douglas-sama were astonished when they saw Kuro appear, but they accepted Kuro’s presence.
“I understand now. Haru, even without magical power, you possessed such hidden power. We let it slip without properly discerning it. How foolish of us.”
After His Highness said that, he put his fingertips on his chin and continued speaking.
“However, it’s hard to believe that you can nullify magic attacks. Could you show us outside once?”
“Yes. I will show you. Right now, for Victor and Pauline-san, for everyone in the kingdom who has been kind to me, I want to be of some use. Please witness my power.”
We went out to the plaza and demonstrated my power in front of the three hundred soldiers who were looking at us and saying, “What’s going on?”
I am already prepared. Victor and Pauline-san wouldn’t have made a mistake in their duties. I had to convince myself that it was right for me to be summoned. Otherwise, I would be paralyzed with fear of the great disaster I would face in the future.
First, Victor unleashed an Ice Lance towards me.
“Ice Lance!”
“. . .Ohhh!”
Before the ice spear could harm me, it disappeared, and everyone murmured in surprise. The townspeople without magical power who were watching from the corner of the plaza screamed, but then they fell silent.
After that, Pauline-san and Victor simultaneously released fireballs and ice spears, but they also vanished. Then the prince said, “Can I try as well?” and appeared, unleashing a fireball much larger than Victor’s, with a whitish color and a high temperature, towards me.
Of course, the prince’s fireball also disappeared, scattering golden dust. Then, the soldiers and townspeople who had been watching from a distance erupted into thunderous applause. Moreover, after the applause, voices saying, “It’s Saint-sama.” “That person was Saint-sama,” could be heard from various people.
“Huh? No, I’m not a saint. . .”
As I panicked, the townspeople and soldiers drowned out my voice, chanting, “Saint-sama!” “Saint-sama!” until the prince said, “Quiet down.”
The plaza finally calmed down, but I couldn’t bear being stared at by everyone with sparkling eyes, so I couldn’t help but scream.
“Please listen! I haven’t done anything to be of help yet! So please stop calling me Saint-sama!”
“No! You possess such incredible power! There’s no doubt you are Saint-sama!”
“That’s right! That’s right! It’s Saint-sama!”
No, no, no, please stop. Seriously, please stop. How can someone as clumsy as me be Saint-sama?
“Haru, please accept the joy of the people here.”
“W-Well then! I’ll just pretend to be a saint for now! Until I can truly be of help to everyone!”
Everyone looked puzzled, but they said, “As expected of Saint-sama, so modest!” Ahhh, it’s a layer of misunderstanding.
As I felt the urge to scratch my head, a person on horseback rushed into the plaza. That’s. . . Cyril-san!
“Cyril-san! Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Haru, it’s here! A golden cloud accompanied by a tornado is coming! I saw it on my way here and got worried, so I came to inform you.”
The soldiers became restless.
“How far has it come?”
Douglas-san approached Cyril-san.
“Cyril-san, this is Vice Commander Douglas-sama.”
When Pauline-san introduced them, Cyril-san, who had been wide-eyed and rolling his eyes, straightened his back and bowed.
“I apologize for my rudeness. The cloud should be visible above the forest soon.”
Following Cyril-san, three soldiers on lookout duty rushed in.
“It’s here! The golden cloud is coming this way!”
Everyone in the plaza looked up at the sky above the forest. At first, the boundary between the forest and the plaza became even brighter during the daytime. Then, “it” appeared there. A golden cloud that sparkled and crackled like condensed sparks of incense fireworks. It was slowly rotating, with something like the eye of a typhoon in the center. And from the cloud, a golden tornado was hanging down.
Screams rose from the townspeople. The soldiers looked at the prince and the vice commander, seeking orders.
“Those with magical power, move away because your magic will be stolen! I will see if I can dispel the tornado!”
Many people were watching as I walked towards the forest. The tornado had become much larger than a whirlwind. Suppressing the feeling of fear, I started walking.
“Haru!”
Victor ran over and grabbed my arm.
“I’m going too.”
“No, absolutely not. You are currently exhausted and unable to use magic. If you have confidence in your summoning, stay away. Believe in your summoning ability. Witness that summoning me was the right thing to do.”
I shook off Victor’s arm, which had stopped me, and continued walking. Eventually, I was swallowed up by the golden tornado.
Chapter 47: At the Reforestation Site
The moment I stepped into the tornado, which was scattering golden sparks, I felt as if I was surrounded by dense and warm mist. Overwhelmed by the brightness, I instinctively closed my eyes.
“Ohhh!”
When I opened my eyes in response to the murmurs coming from behind me, the golden tornado that had enveloped me was gradually thinning. From the bottom, the golden swirls seemed to unravel and disappear with a swishing sound.
As I looked up, following the unraveling motion, the tornado slowly vanished up into the clouds, signaling the end.
“So the clouds won’t disappear, huh? It won’t be that easy.”
“Haru!”
I turned around at the sound of Victor’s voice, and he and Pauline-san came running towards me.
The clouds were slowly shifting, and the square was completely covered by a golden cloud. Despite being covered by the cloud, the square was brighter than usual, illuminated by a soft light.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing happened to me.”
Victor suddenly hugged me tightly and buried his face in my head. His long brown hair fell on my face, carrying Victor’s pleasant scent.
“Victor?”
“I, I thought my heart was going to stop.”
I gently patted Victor’s back to calm him down, and his brown eyes, which seemed on the verge of tears, peered into mine.
“It’s okay. But more importantly, the clouds haven’t disappeared.”
“I will use my foresight. I will foresee the future of Deals.”
“We’re counting on you.”
Pauline-san disappeared into the tent, and the prince came over to me, replacing her.
“Haru, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Your Highness, Pauline-san has been foreseeing scenes where the ground is eroded and buildings are completely cut off. Until those clouds disappear, we can’t feel completely safe.”
The prince’s face showed surprise.
“So there were such foresights!”
“These foresights have only recently appeared. That’s why I think we need to determine the whereabouts of those clouds.”
“I see. Then I will discuss the future plans.”
The townspeople were immediately ordered to return home, and the square was left with only the soldiers.
We returned to the tent and started devising our future strategies. First, we needed to identify which areas would have large holes dug into the ground and which buildings would be cut off.
“How about letting Pauline draw the scenes and show them to someone familiar with the area?”
The vice commander suggested, and the prince agreed.
“That’s a good idea. Also, how long can Pauline continuously use her foresight? We need to consider that so that she doesn’t run out of magical power at a critical moment.”
“Your Highness, you don’t need to worry about that.”
“Pauline-san!”
“The amount of magical power I use for my foresight is not significant. It is actually influenced by physical stamina. Please identify the specific moments when foresight is needed. I will provide foresight in order of importance.”
Wow, she’s cool. Pauline-san, who usually has a modest attitude, looks dignified and cool.
After that, Pauline-san went into the tent and continued her foresight endlessly, accompanied by Cyril-san.
Now, I am standing in the square with Victor. The clouds are still shining. The flickering light, resembling tens of thousands of sparklers, would be beautiful if I didn’t have to think about what comes next. I’m not the only one who thinks that way; the soldiers, as well as those who fear it and even those with innocent childlike expressions, are gazing at it.
The upper floors of the two- and three-story buildings surrounding the square seem to be residential, and many townspeople are looking up at the sky from their windows. Those who remain here are probably people without magical power, so they might be curious, but it makes my heart feel restless.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Based on Pauline-san’s foresight, the location where the ground would be dug up was identified. It turned out to be a place at the northern edge of the town of Deals, where tree seedlings were being nurtured. In the Sumner territory, they utilize the abundant forest resources through reforestation. However, the foresight indicated that the reforestation site would be dug up.
There was a senior soldier on the border who was clearly disappointed that the clouds were not heading straight to the neighboring kingdom but moving north within the kingdom. Crown Prince Eldred scolded the soldier, who seemed to have a role.
“Don’t say such foolish things! If that cloud flows from our country to another, it will be thought that [Kholdar Kingdom intentionally sent disaster]. It will become a source of unnecessary conflict!”
I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought, “Exactly.” I’m relieved that the prince has a normal sense of things.
“By the way, how can a mass of magical power like that cloud dig into the ground? Will another tornado occur?”
“We don’t know that, so for now, we can only keep people away.”
Thus, the soldiers quickly prohibited entry to the reforestation site. On the night specified by Pauline, it happened.
Although the tornado disappeared, the massive accumulation of magical power continued to rotate without weakening, slowly moving towards the reforestation site. In front of the people who were watching with bated breath, the surroundings suddenly became bright for a moment. It seemed like the edge of the disc-shaped cloud had lit up.
Unable to open their eyes due to the brightness, when everyone’s vision finally cleared, the reforestation site had been gouged out into a large bowl-shaped area with a diameter of about a hundred meters. The area was filled with a strong smell of burnt soil and trees. Despite such extensive damage, there was no sound or vibration.
“If something like this. . . if it happened in the urban area, it would be a major disaster!”
The voice of Crown Prince Eldred represented the thoughts of everyone present.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Only one month left until the great disaster foreseen by Pauline.
Chapter 48: The Right to Worry Together
“Perhaps, the golden cloud is returning magic to the earth in that way.”
Everyone’s faces turned to me with a “Huh?” expression.
“In the world I came from, there was no magic or magical power, but magic is gushing out from the earth all over this country. That collective cloud of magic is created by humans, using a tornado of magic to gather it. Maybe now it wants to return to its original state.”
“If Haru’s assumption is correct, it would be quite troublesome. If it heads towards a major city, we need to pinpoint the location and evacuate the people.”
The prince’s opinion was calm and reasonable, making me feel embarrassed for my vague thoughts.
Pauline-san started working to identify the next affected area day by day. Until the magic fell into the reforestation area, she would return to Cyril-san’s house at night, but now she was with the military all day. Victor and I were the same.
“Victor, Haru, please join us in our efforts. We need as many people as possible who understand that thing. I know it’s selfish of me to ask. Please.”
The prince was desperate. Victor and I were already planning to cooperate.
The palace was informed of the situation, and the number of soldiers increased. About a thousand people were sent to guide the residents’ evacuation. When they arrived at the scene, they were amazed by the slowly moving golden cloud, rotating in the sky. They were told that they didn’t know when a vast amount of magic would fall, and they couldn’t hide their nervousness.
Victor, Cyril-san, and I were having a whispered conversation away from the soldiers.
“Now that the tornado is gone, I don’t think the golden cloud will grow any larger.”
“Since it’s unnatural for magic to gather in the sky like that, I think it will eventually disappear.”
“But if it disappears while creating such a large hole, the damage will be too great. I’m also worried that Pauline might collapse from overwork.”
Lately, Cyril-san doesn’t hide his affection for Pauline-san. It’s refreshing.
“Hey, Victor. You saw where the magic fell from the cloud, right? The light fell from the edge of the cloud.”
“Yeah, but what about it?”
“If we know where the magic falls from the cloud, I think I can catch it and return it to the earth. If I can catch it, there won’t be such damage.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? It’s different from being hit by two or three Ice Lances. If you try to catch that much magic power that can create such a large hole, you’ll definitely die!”
“That’s right, Haru. Pauline is making detailed predictions. If buildings are sacrificed, we just need to evacuate people. There’s no need for you to sacrifice yourself.”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
Then why was I summoned?
Pauline-san foresaw that someone was needed to prevent a great disaster.
Victor summoned me, choosing me with his summoning magic.
If I don’t have to do anything, why am I here now? Within me, one answer lingers. That answer has been poking at me incessantly.
(No matter how hard anyone tries, my role will surely come. I can’t escape from it, and maybe I shouldn’t.)
When I first came to this country, I didn’t understand, but after living with Victor and Pauline-san for a long time, I have come to understand many things.
Pauline-san, who has the skills to work at the palace, and Victor, who was called a genius, are probably not mistaken. If they called me, then I must do my best. That will surely not let me escape.
The power of the magical attacks directed at me is being returned to the earth. I remember that night when my feet glowed when Victor’s Ice Lances disappeared. I must be a lightning rod. I think I’m a lightning rod that returns the magic power forcibly gathered by humans back to the earth.
“Hey, Victor.”
“What?”
“Didn’t the prince say something about gathering the tornadoes of the palace wizards and making them bigger?”
“He did.”
“In that case, you know what that means, right? No matter where the magic falls from that large cloud, can’t we use a magic circle to drop it in a specific location?”
Victor fell into silent contemplation for a while. I waited, but he didn’t say anything.
“Victor. You have a way, don’t you? A way to drop the magic in a targeted location no matter where it falls from the cloud. I want you to be prepared as a last resort.”
“You intend to stand in the targeted location?”
“When it becomes necessary.”
“With my, with my magic circle. . .”
Saying that, Victor left with heavy footsteps.
“Haru, about you.”
“Huh? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, you didn’t. But maybe you should talk more with Victor and discuss things together.”
“Um, what do you mean?”
“It seems like Haru is deciding everything without consulting Victor. Since it’s something you’re willing to risk your life for, no one has the right to complain. But it feels like you’re saying, ‘I’ll decide for myself, so it’s none of your business,’ and it’s a bit lonely.”
“Eh? No, that’s not what I meant. I thought that if I hesitated and worried about what I should do, it would be troublesome for everyone.”
“It’s the right of close people to worry together. Victor probably felt pushed away by you, I’m sure.”
“The right of close people…”
Ah, I see. Is that how it was?
My younger brothers were angry because they felt like they were being given charity. Maybe it’s because I didn’t even let them worry together.
Even now, and in the past, I didn’t consult anyone about anything. It was always, “It’s about me,” and “You don’t need to consult or complain to me.”
“Cyril-san, thank you. I’m going to talk to Victor.”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Only two weeks left until the great disaster Pauline foresaw.
After that, I tried to have discussions with Victor multiple times, but he always managed to escape. He wouldn’t speak to me, maintaining a stern expression.
We spent a week with only minimal necessary conversations. The clouds were steadily moving north towards Heartfield. And Pauline had a new vision.
“In three days, magic power will fall here.”
Pauline pointed at the map. It was right in the heart of Heartfield’s old downtown. A place with winding narrow streets, like capillaries, and densely packed buildings.
“Of all places. . .”
The prince and the vice commander were speechless, staring at Pauline-san’s finger. Eldred-sama, who had regained his composure, gave instructions to his subordinates.
“Impose an evacuation order on the residents of this district immediately. Prohibit them from taking their belongings. They should evacuate with only one piece of luggage.”
“Yes, sir.”
Amidst the heavy atmosphere dominating the camp, I dragged Victor out.
“What is it?”
“I want to talk.”
“I have nothing to talk about.”
“I do!”
I grabbed onto Victor’s sleeve, looking displeased. Despite his anger, Victor reluctantly followed me.
The camp would probably be relocated to Heartfield. Both inside and outside the camp, many soldiers were bustling about.
“Victor, I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“For not consulting with you.”
“It’s none of my concern, right?”
I hugged Victor head-on.
“What the. . .”
“If we don’t talk about it now, I’ll regret it forever. I want you to let me explain properly. Please.”
Then, Victor pulled me aside, grabbed both of my arms, and stared directly into my face.
“Haru, do you think it’s [okay to die]?”
“Huh?”
“Look into your own heart. Do you think Haru is thinking [it’s okay to die, there’s no other choice]?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think I’m thinking that.”
“You are. And you’re even prepared to die under the magic circle I created. Have you even considered me, even a tiny bit? Are you deciding and preparing to die all by yourself? Am I someone who can’t even be consulted when you make such a determination?”
Victor’s usually cool eyes were filled with tears, and a drop fell from the corner of his left eye.
“I’m sorry. You see, I was raised by foster parents in a facility, but when I was five, I overheard the neighbors gossiping and found out that I wasn’t their real child.”
“Yeah.”
“I have two younger brothers, and I realized at the age of five that I was the only one from a different family. Since then, I’ve been living, trying not to cause any trouble.”
“Yeah.”
“To avoid being disliked, to avoid being abandoned again, I had to be strong. That’s why I’m not used to relying on others. I wasn’t a real family member. . .”
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry I dragged you suddenly from the world where you were working so hard to live in, and left you completely alone this time. No matter how much I apologize, I can’t apologize enough, Haru, I’m truly sorry… And yet, you’re willing to risk your life for us. I’m sorry.”
Victor, who had been holding onto my arms, wrapped his arms around my body and cried.
“No, I haven’t decided to die. I might be with Victor forever. So please don’t cry so much. Hey, I’ve been scared and couldn’t ask you until now, but should we ask Pauline-san? How I’m doing one year from now.”
Victor didn’t respond while still holding me.
“If I’m doing well one year from now, Victor can feel relieved, right?”
“I don’t want to know.”
“Pauline-san said you’re a genius. So I’m sure I’m not mistaken. I was chosen because I’m needed. It took a long time, but I finally accepted that. That’s why, Victor, I don’t want to fight while we’re still mad at each other. We have to make up. We have to reconcile and I have to fulfill my responsibilities. Okay?”
“You were so against it. You said you weren’t a saint.”
“That’s right. You insisted that I was a saint.”
“Why have our arguments switched places?”
“Yeah, that’s true. Now, Victor, cheer up. Do you remember the magic circle? Can you create it?”
“. . .Yeah. I’m an amazing summoner, after all. A magic circle that drops magic power where we aim for is a piece of cake.”
Victor laughed with tears still in his eyes.
“Victor.”
“What?”
“When I finish what I need to do properly, let’s go somewhere and live together.”
“Yeah. That sounds good. Let’s live together. And make me a part of Haru’s family.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Let’s become a family.”
From that night on, Victor immersed himself in devising a ritual to create a massive magic circle. Both Victor and I (perhaps. . .) decided to overlook the fear and focus only on what lies ahead.
The number of soldiers in the kingdom’s army had increased to two thousand. They were busy organizing the crowds in the ancient capital of Heartfield.
“Run away from here immediately.”
“Taking your belongings with you is prohibited.”
One day, such orders were suddenly issued, and the residents of Heartfield were astonished. The reason given was simply “danger is approaching,” and it was vague. The soldiers who were urging the residents forward also did not fully understand, adding to the confusion.
“I have to do business!”
“My parents are elderly and can’t walk. It’s impossible to suddenly be told something like this.”
“What if thieves break in while we’re away?”
“Tomorrow is my daughter’s wedding! Please spare us.”
“My wife is about to give birth. I can’t make her walk a long distance.”
Many people resisted, and the evacuation was not progressing smoothly.
Even though the soldiers instructed them to take only one piece of luggage, there were still people trying to load their carts with piles of belongings and escape. The narrow and winding streets of the ancient capital would quickly become blocked if a cart got stuck in the cobblestone grooves, causing hundreds of people to be trapped behind.
Daniel, a young soldier, was sweating profusely as he organized the crowd. While wiping his sweat, he noticed a child’s face peering out from a window on the third floor of a building.
“Oh! There’s still a child in a place like that!”
Daniel made his way through the tightly packed crowd and headed towards the building. He rushed up the stairs. He knocked on the door of the room where he thought there might be a child, but there was no response.
“Hey! Kid! Open the door for me!”
As he strained his ears, he heard a child’s voice from inside.
“I have to stay here! Don’t open it.”
That was the response he heard.
“It’s dangerous if we don’t run. Can you open the door?”
“No, I can’t.”
While this was happening, there were screams one after another outside. Worried, he rushed out to the external staircase, and he saw that the entire crowd had their mouths open, looking up at the sky. Daniel, influenced by them, also looked up and saw a dazzling golden disc-shaped cloud floating in the southeast sky of the town.
He had heard stories from his squad leader that “magic was falling from a cloud mass of magical energy, scorching the ground.” But honestly, Daniel didn’t quite grasp the situation. The cloud was much larger than he had imagined, rotating leisurely. The cloud, resembling sparks gathered together, was beautiful, but his instincts were ringing alarm bells, warning him, “It’s dangerous! Run away!”
“Kid! Get away from the door! Onii-san is going to break it down now!”
“No! I don’t want to!”
“Move away!”
After counting to three, he kicked through the middle of the door. Luckily, the old door held up. He reached into the hole in the middle, unlocked the door, and picked up the frightened child. Then, Daniel rushed down the stairs.
However, where he descended to was filled with a panicked crowd.
“Make way! There’s a child here!”
“We can’t move either!”
Shouts echoed through the narrow streets of the ancient capital. The evacuation order issued since yesterday was too late to thoroughly enforce among the hundreds of thousands of people.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
“It’s done.”
With disheveled hair, a visibly exhausted Victor announced the completion of the magic circle, and Prince Eldred, who also had a fatigued expression, breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now, let’s go.”
The prince, accompanied by his attendants, headed towards the densely populated area of the city.
Several hours later, on a small hill overlooking the old town, Prince Eldred witnessed a scene that made him doubt his own eyes.
“What’s going on? The evacuation isn’t complete.”
“I apologize. The people were slow to believe and many were trying to take their belongings with them, causing confusion.”
“This will result in a terrible disaster.”
Biting his lip, Prince Eldred pondered the course of action while observing the massive crowd pushing and shoving. Pauline-san’s foresight indicated that the next surge of magical energy would come tonight.
At that moment, Victor approached and bowed his head.
“Victor, it seems the evacuation won’t be completed by tonight. It has become a serious situation.”
“Your Highness, there’s no need to worry. Haru, Pauline, and I will protect the people of Heartfield.”
“But even if you concentrate the falling magical energy in one place, with that crowd, there’s nowhere to drop it.”
“Your Highness, I will catch it. I will catch it and return the magical energy to the earth safely.”
For a moment, Prince Eldred had a puzzled expression as if to say, “What is this person talking about?” He must have thought that if he caught the magical energy that would create a hole in the ground in an instant without making a sound, he would be incinerated.
With a smile, I made a declaration.
“Your Highness, have you forgotten? I’m the genius summoner Victor summoned. Let me show you how I can be of assistance. Please watch over us here.”
The prince knows that I have special abilities, but he looked at Victor with a face that seemed to say, “Can she really do that?” Then, Victor nodded with a clear smile.
“Haru and I will go to that square. We will safely return the magical energy falling from there to the earth. Well then, if you’ll excuse us.”
Saying that, Victor and I descended the hill together.
Someone came running towards us.
“Wait a moment!”
“Oh, Cyril-san. What’s the matter?”
“Pauline asked me to give this to Haru without fail.”
I received the offered box and took out its contents, revealing a pure white, lightweight silk dress with a simple design. Inside the box, there was a message card. The card had the words “Of course, this is perfect for Saint-sama!”
written by Pauline-san.
“Well, there’s no helping it. Go ahead and wear it. Pauline will be delighted,” said Victor.
“Um, well, that’s just how it is,” Cyril-san said apologetically.
With the white dress draped over my arm, I walked alongside Victor as we headed towards the plaza.
Chapter 51: The Descent of the Saint
Evening.
The bustling streets of the ancient capital Heartfield were finally starting to empty out. However, a group at the entrance of the forest was frozen in fear, blocking the path for those coming from behind. As a result, tens of thousands of people crowded the streets heading towards the forest.
I stood in the center of the square, dressed in a white dress, while Victor stood at the edge of the square.
On the narrow roads surrounding the square, many people were waiting with tired faces for the person in front of them to move forward.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Victor called out in a loud voice, and I responded in kind.
“Alright, let’s deploy the magic circle.”
“Yeah, let’s do our best!”
“Okay.”
Victor raised both hands towards the sky and closed his eyes. The magical power needed to construct the enormous magic circle had been sufficiently accumulated. Almost every day since he met me, whether in the backyard of the Aura Inn or Cyril’s house, or in the small plaza of Deals, he had been bathed in magical power. I diligently encouraged Victor to bathe in the golden powder. Perhaps, it was for this moment.
Soon, the air began to vibrate with a loud buzzing sound, and a large white magic circle emerged in the darkening sky above the city.
It continued to rise and grow in size, eventually settling in a position that concealed the identical cloud between the golden cloud and the ground. It came to a halt, motionless.
The surrounding crowd stopped moving and stared at the magic circle. After a while,
Crack!
A thick beam of light descended from the golden cloud. It fell from the edge of the cloud but was guided to flow down towards the center of the magic circle, falling vertically towards me through the central hole.
“Wow!”
The crowd let out a collective scream, but nothing happened.
No, to be precise, the concentrated mass of magical power was falling towards me as I stood in the center of the square.
The white light passed through me from head to toe, illuminating the ground of the square, and returned to the earth.
The wind rustled my white attire. I was still standing.
The excited voices of the people reached me.
“Did the light not fall on that girl?”
“It fell. It fell directly.”
“Is she unharmed?”
“Yeah, she’s fine. She’s smiling at the man.”
The people who had been crouching stood up and looked at me in the center of the square. From the entire surrounding area, voices saying “Saint-sama?” and “It’s Saint-sama!” began to rise, eventually turning into a wave-like cry of “Wow! Saint-sama is here!” that spread among the people.
Since many people were rushing towards me, I raised my hand to stop them.
“Don’t come! The magical power is still descending! Everyone, please move away! Stay away from here!”
Upon hearing that, the people who had tried to rush towards me stopped and, while glancing back at me, reorganized themselves into a shuffled line and moved forward.
“Haru, it’s coming!”
“Understood!”
Victor, who was maintaining the magic circle with his magical power, should not have forgotten Pauline-san’s foresight. She had said, “The magical power will descend three times in a row.” Victor was looking at the cloud with both hands raised.
After a while, once again, crack! crack! Two consecutive flashes of golden light appeared. The released magical power, like the first time, was guided to the center of the magic circle and fell upon me.
Once again, the ground beneath my feet shone brightly, absorbing the fallen magical power.
After witnessing that, my strength left me, and I collapsed to the ground.
“Haru!”
Victor rushed over, and the magic circle in the sky disappeared with a whoosh.
“Are you okay?”
“I think so.”
“Are you injured anywhere?”
“My arms, they feel hot.”
Victor hastily rolled up the sleeves of my white dress. Both Victor and I gasped simultaneously.
“Hey, Victor, what is this…?”
Delicate golden patterns that glowed adorned my arms from the elbows to the fingertips. They resembled overgrown vine plants, with buds depicted here and there. When Victor touched the patterns, his fingers felt cold and pleasant, just like when I got burned.
“Maybe it’s a burn because it’s hot.”
“I’ll cool it down now, wait!”
Saying that, Victor fetched water from the well at the corner of the square and soaked his shirt in it. He then ran back and placed it on my arms.
“Phew. It’s cool and feels good.”
“Is there anywhere else? Are you feeling any pain?”
“I’m fine.”
Just after I laughed, I began to feel faint.
“Haru! Haru!”
I could hear Victor shouting in my ear, but my consciousness slowly descended into darkness.
I woke up on the bed of a carriage.
Kuro was snuggled up next to me.
“Oh, thank goodness. You’re awake. Kuro appeared as soon as you were put on the carriage and hasn’t left your side since then.”
“Yes, thank you, Kuro.”
When I closed my eyes, it felt like I could sleep forever.
“Pauline, can you use your vision to see if Haru is safe until all those clouds disappear? Please!”
“Victor, I’m sorry. A Visionary wizard doesn’t use vision when an individual’s life is at risk. Although there are accidental glimpses sometimes, it has been decided based on past experiences.”
“I see. . .”
Pauline-san lifted Victor’s coat that was draped over me and examined my arms.
“Victor, did you use healing magic?”
“With my level of healing magic, it didn’t do much. I thought it was a burn and tried to cool it, but this doesn’t feel like a burn.”
“I’ve never seen such beautiful burn marks. It’s like a botanical painting drawn by an artist.”
I closed my eyes and listened to the voices around me. I could hear the voice of Prince Eldred.
“Pauline, there’s no doubt we’re heading to the capital, right?”
“Yes. In two days, at midnight, the magical power will drop in the square in front of the palace and the market.”
“I’ve already sent out messengers, but I’m sure the evacuation won’t be completed this time either.”
“We don’t have much time, and the people in the capital haven’t seen those golden clouds. It will be difficult to evacuate all at once. It’s not Your Highness’s responsibility that the evacuation is delayed, as the vision became clear only two days ago and I could pinpoint the location.”
After Pauline-san, I heard Victor’s voice.
“Your Highness, I will use my magic circle. It may create a large hole in the ground, but we can clear the area.”
“That’s right. Haru is probably in danger if we continue.”
There was silence. I’m sure Victor and Pauline-san were nodding silently.
“Victor, how about you? Do you still have enough magical power?”
“I’m still fine. My burnt-out veins have almost fully recovered.”
“I’ve never heard of burnt-out veins recovering.”
“Haru found a place where magical power wells up. When I bathe in it, I gradually recover.”
“What an invaluable ability. Haru is a treasure of our country.”
Another unnatural silence. Even with my eyes closed, I could see Victor and Pauline-san’s strained faces.
Half a day earlier than the golden clouds, the carriage carrying us arrived at the capital. Many soldiers and members of the Mage Corps gathered to welcome us. As soon as they saw them, Kuro disappeared.
“Your Highness! We have heard about the incident in Heartfield. We are truly relieved that you are safe!”
“Brent, I’m fine. Victor, Haru, and Pauline resolved the situation splendidly.”
When I managed to open my eyes, Brent Baynes, the captain of the Mage Corps, walked straight toward Victor and bowed beside the bed where I was lying.
“Victor, I heard about your remarkable achievements. I couldn’t protect you when you were treated like that. I’m sorry. It’s like this. I apologize to Haru-sama as well. I’m sorry.”
“Captain, being dismissed from the corps is already in the past. Right now, I want Haru to rest. Please let us use the bed.”
“Of course.”
Carrying me in his arms, Victor took me to the healing room in the royal palace. A middle-aged woman, a practitioner of healing magic, looked surprised when she saw the patterns on my arms but tried to treat them. However, no matter how many times she tried, the patterns wouldn’t disappear.
“With my healing magic, it doesn’t disappear at all. It seems this is not a burn or injury. In the first place, I can’t imagine having such beautiful injuries or burns.”
The delicate white patterns resembling a pen drawing of a vine-like plant remained on my forearms even after several days. I still felt tired and just lay down.
“If we consult an expert in deciphering ancient texts, they might be able to understand the meaning of these patterns. Hugh Drindle is the one. He should be knowledgeable about various ancient patterns. I’ll bring Hugh.”
After a while, an elderly man with a hunched back, Hugh Drindle-san, was brought into the room.
As soon as Hugh-san saw the pattern on my arm, he exclaimed,
“Oh, oh, to think that I would be able to see the Saint’s pattern with my own eyes.”
He knelt beside the bed where I was lying, clasping his hands over his own heart. It was the prayer pose of this country.
“The Saint’s pattern?”
Victor asked, and Hugh-san nodded repeatedly, explaining with an expression of deep emotion.
“In this country, it has been over two hundred years since the last appearance of a Saint. The last Saint was a poor farmer’s daughter. They say that she cured illnesses, calmed turbulent weather, and brought abundant harvests to the crops. However, the extent of the truth is unknown because records of Saints and heroes tend to be embellished and exaggerated.”
He paused briefly to take a breath before continuing.
“However, it is true that she saved the people. And it is said that delicate plant patterns appeared in white on the back of the Saint’s hand. Those patterns have been depicted and preserved. They are exactly the same as the patterns on Haru-sama’s arm.”
“Was the previous Saint’s pattern only on the back of her hand?”
Victor asked.
“Yes. It may be that the sacred power is so strong that the Saint’s pattern appears only on a wide area of both arms.”
Victor stared at my face, listening to the old man’s words in silence.
Chapter 53: Night in the Capital
When I woke up next, Victor was sitting on a sturdy-looking chair next to the bed, leaning his upper body on the bed and sleeping.
(He looks uncomfortable. I should let him sleep on the bed in my place.) As I reached out my arm while still lying down, intending to tap Victor’s shoulder, something caught my eye.
Intricate patterns engraved on my arm. It was a delicate and beautiful plant pattern drawn with thin white lines, like a henna tattoo. What kind of enchantment is this? I gently rubbed it with my finger, but it wouldn’t disappear. Eek.
Just as I was flustered by myself, Victor woke up.
“Haru. Are you awake? Is there anywhere that hurts?”
“Nowhere hurts, but there’s some kind of pattern engraved. What is this?”
“That, it’s the symbol of the saint. It appeared after that magic passed through your body. It wasn’t drawn by anyone. Haru, you really are the saint.”
“Eh? This is the reward for my hard work? It’s a bit much, isn’t it? And I’m not even married yet.”
At that moment, Victor gently stroked my head and chuckled.
“I don’t mind. In fact, I like it. Don’t worry, you can become my bride without any concerns.”
“Oh, yes. Then, if the need arises, I’ll rely on your words. Thank you.”
As we blushed and felt embarrassed, we heard a cough. Startled, we turned towards the sound and saw Lord Conrad standing by the open door. Why was Conrad-san here? I wondered, but I was surprised when I heard the explanation.
“Haru, news of your achievements in Heartfield has spread like wildfire. It’s causing a commotion even within my territory, with people saying, ‘A saint has appeared in our kingdom after two hundred years!’ So, I consulted with the Lord of Sumner’s territory and brought this. You don’t have to use it now, but it might come in handy someday.”
Saying that, he handed me something wrapped in cloth. I opened the cloth and looked inside, and both Victor and I nodded in agreement. “Ah… I see.”
“By the way, I heard earlier that there will be two more lightning strikes of magic power in two days.”
“Lightning strikes of magic power? Was that the name given while I was asleep?”
“Yes, it seems the people who witnessed it called it that. That’s what it’s called.”
“Haru can rest, it’s fine. This time it will be in the square and the market, and if any holes appear, His Majesty has decided that they can be fixed.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I will guide it to a place where it’s okay if it strikes.”
“You’re truly a genius! You’re so cool.”
“Stop teasing me.”
At that moment, no one could have imagined that it wouldn’t be so easy.
Night.
The residents of the capital city formed multiple layers of crowds and watched the square from a distance. Above the square, there was a rotating golden cloud. It was a beautiful cloud, like a collection of tens of thousands or millions of fireworks.
While Victor chanted a spell and raised both hands, a huge magic circle appeared and illuminated the surroundings with white light. A low murmur of “Ohh” arose from the many spectators.
The magic circle, just like before, stopped right below the cloud. Then, a spot slightly to the right of the center of the cloud became intensely bright.
With a “Ka!” it shone, and the familiar smell of burning and the scent of familiar soil spread. Looking down, I saw a large, deep mortar-like hole in the ground.
And a low rumbling sound, like a vibration or an earthquake, continued.
“What’s that sound? It didn’t make that noise last time, did it?”
I asked Pauline-san, and she pointed with a flustered face. I looked where her finger was pointing and saw cracks forming in the ground from the edge of the hole, extending towards the direction of the royal castle along with the vibrations.
“Huh? What does this mean? Could it be that it will. . .”
As I thought, the unexpected happened. The cracks that extended from the hole reached the front of the royal castle gate. Then, the sturdy stone wall began to collapse. With a clattering sound, it collapsed one after another like dominoes, falling towards the direction where the crowd was. It was a high stone wall, so it was a dangerous situation.
People dressed in robes, presumably palace wizards, ran towards that direction.
The collapse of the wall progressed towards the spectators, and chaos quickly ensued. Screams filled the air. However, the palace wizards managed to stop the collapse of the wall. What kind of magic was that? It was amazing. It seemed that there were no casualties, but if one step had been wrong, it would have been a disaster.
I still think that it would have been better if I had been the lightning rod and prevented accidents and injuries. I conveyed this to Prince Eldred.
“I see. I’m sorry to ask you even though you’re tired, but I would like to rely on you for this.”
The prince accepted my request.
Victor had a stern expression, but when I strongly pleaded, “That’s why you summoned me from the other world, right?” he agreed. I’m also happy to be able to help someone in this world. The two of us headed towards the market, the location of the next lightning strike of magic power.
For some reason, the crowd followed us from a distance. It felt like we were performing street entertainment, and I started to sweat in a strange way.
The cloud had moved slightly, and now it was directly above the market.
Once again, Victor floated the magic circle, and I stood right below the center of the magic circle. Murmurs of “Huh?” arose from various places, and fear appeared on the faces of the spectators. Well, that’s understandable. They had just witnessed such a tremendous disaster.
Soon, light descended from the cloud again. With a “Ka!” it shone and was absorbed into the hole in the magic circle, falling towards me.
I opened my eyes and watched as the light pierced through my body. There was a shock as if a hard stake had been driven into me. But there was no pain. It was a strange sensation. The ground around my feet shone brightly in a golden light, spreading in concentric circles like ripples, and finally disappeared around the spectators who were watching.
Perhaps because I had released magic power multiple times, the golden cloud was visibly shrinking. If we repeated this, it would eventually disappear, right?
I widened my eyes in surprise and waved my hand to the spectators, who were frozen in fear and tension. It was a gesture to reassure them, to say, “It’s okay, I’m alive, don’t be afraid.” Then, a wave of cheers surged forward. Many soldiers prevented the spectators from rushing towards me.
Everyone was shouting, “Saint-sama!” That’s right, after seeing something like that, it’s natural to think that way. Being called Saint-sama is a bit embarrassing, and I feel like scratching my head.
That night, Victor and I were invited to stay at the royal palace, but we politely declined and headed to the inn called Aura.
The next magic power drop is in three days, in the Sloane region.
That cloud seems to be restoring the power of the ravaged land, as if wanting to return it in order. Maybe I’m just overthinking it.
Perhaps I didn’t collapse this time because I’m used to it. Or maybe the patterns engraved on my body are serving as protection. It seems that no one knows for sure. However, when I received that light, the patterns on my arm shone brightly in a golden color, visible even through my clothes.
“I can’t believe you turned down an invitation from the palace!”
Pauline-san says, but I didn’t do it to be praised by the king, and Victor also says, “There’s no need for us to go there now.”
At Aura, I was able to reunite with familiar faces. The innkeeper, Modal-san, the head servant, Claire-san, and the cook, Miles-san. And, Connie-chan, who was in the same room!
We hugged each other one by one and rejoiced.
“Haru! You’re the Saint-sama!”
Claire-san is gripping my arm, but she’s putting too much strength into it, and it hurts.
“Yes, when lightning struck you, Claire-san almost fainted!”
As for me, I almost fainted for a different reason a little while ago.
In fact, those patterns had spread.
When I noticed that delicate, white, intricate plant patterns were engraved on my upper body, from my wrist to my shoulder and a little below my décolletage, as if an artist had painted them from both the front and back, I thought I was going to lose consciousness.
It’s beautiful! It’s stunning! It just feels like I’m not ordinary anymore. It’s certain that they will increase every time I receive that thing, right?
But well, there’s nothing I can do about it. Yeah, it can’t be helped. It’s pointless to worry. I can’t even bring myself to say, “I don’t want patterns on my body anymore.”
And Victor, with a serious face, says things like, “The most beautiful patterns in the world.” That’s what calms me down the most.
That night turned into a banquet. We all ate Miles-san’s delicious food and drank wine. Cyril-san also joined us, and we laughed, talked, and made a lot of noise. In the midst of the commotion, Connie-chan got drunk, stumbled, and dropped and broke the plate she was carrying.
“Oh no, I did it. Modal-san, you will deduct it from my salary? You will, right?”
“Forget about that, look, you cut your finger while picking it up, didn’t you? It’s bleeding a little. Quickly, treat it!”
“Connie-chan, I have a good ointment with me. I’ll apply it for you.”
Just as I was about to take out the ointment from my bag and bring my hand closer, something happened. My fingertips started to emit a white light, and the cut on Connie-chan’s finger closed up as if I had barely touched it.
“Huh? Huh? Huh?”
Connie-chan and I were taken aback, and Pauline-san muttered,
“Wow, Saint-sama is the real deal. Haru has gained the ability to use healing magic.”
“Huh? Spells? I don’t know anything about them, and I haven’t chanted anything.”
With a clatter, Victor stood up, his eyes intoxicated with alcohol. He stared at his own hand and suddenly lightly cut his palm with a silver knife that was on the table. Instantly, red blood welled up, and the women screamed.
“What are you doing, Victor!”
Victor, with his bleeding hand, held it out in front of me and said,
“Try healing my wound too.”
“But I don’t know how!”
I was angry, but there was no way to do it either.
As soon as I took Victor’s hand, the wound closed up rapidly. Oh, wow. I’m surprised myself.
“If I can use healing magic, does that mean I have magical power within me now?”
“Well… Could it be because such an enormous amount of magical power passed through you? Is it because of those patterns? No, I don’t know. Shall we go to the royal palace together and have it examined tomorrow?”
“Ah, no. I have a feeling it will become even more troublesome. Instead, hey everyone, if there’s something I can heal while my healing magic is still active, let me heal it!”
“Huh? Is it okay? Can we receive Saint-sama’s healing magic?” They teased, but everyone’s eyes sparkled, and they couldn’t help but smile.
After that, I healed Modal-san’s back pain, Miles-san’s tendonitis, Claire-san’s stiff shoulders, and Connie-chan’s acne. It was a grand display of healing magic.
We made a ruckus until midnight. As everyone started to drop one by one, Connie-chan and I said goodnight and entered the prepared rooms.
The next morning, we rode in a luxurious carriage that came from the palace and chased after the golden clouds. We advanced along the forest road, aiming for the clouds in the Sloane territory. So, the golden clouds circled around the country and returned to their original course.
I couldn’t find any of the places where the golden powder used to gush out, which I had seen before. Does that mean it’s depleted now? Like when you draw too much groundwater and the well dries up?
Is that cloud trying to restore it? When I mentioned this to Victor, he said,
“It’s just speculation, but it might be the will of the earth trying to return to its original state.”
While having such a conversation, Hugh, the elderly man who is knowledgeable about ancient documents and is riding in the carriage with us, diligently transcribed everything. He volunteered to be in charge of recording the records related to the saint. I don’t want these conversations to be recorded until they become ancient documents.
“Hugh-san, please stop recording our casual conversations. Also, I’m not that grand of a person. Please treat me casually.”
“To have Saint-sama call my name, it is the utmost honor.”
“Hugh-san, you’re exaggerating. If you don’t talk to me normally, I’ll ask to be moved to another carriage.”
“Oh, that would be troublesome. I came here to record Saint-sama’s deeds.”
While he says it’s for recording, I hope he doesn’t embellish it to a scary level. After this disaster is over, I plan to live as an ordinary commoner, so please don’t make things difficult for me in my daily life.
Chapter 55: Proposal of Lord Conrad
Conrad-san, who welcomed our group, asked me, Victor, and Pauline-san about our future plans after seeing the people off.
“So, if the golden cloud is gradually shrinking, it means it will eventually disappear, right?”
“Yes, that seems to be the case.”
“Haru, what do you intend to do after that?”
“Well, I was thinking of selling porridge and gelato and settling down somewhere to live a normal life.”
“No, that’s probably not possible. The fact that there is a saint in this country serves as a significant deterrent to other nations. The country won’t just leave you alone.”
Victor also nodded with a gloomy expression.
A deterrent, huh? Am I a nuclear weapon or something?
“Um, I don’t know to what extent, but should I not mention that I can use healing magic?”
“What! You can even use healing magic?”
“Yes. I don’t know when my powers will fade or how much healing I can do. But I think that by receiving that light and trying to save this country, I have finally acquired the abilities that were originally expected of a saint.”
Conrad-san let out a sigh, saying, “I see.”
“Haru, do you know until what age a strong healing wizard works at the royal castle?”
“No, not at all.”
“Until they die.”
“What? Until death? But what if the person wants to retire?”
Victor answered that question for me.
“They probably won’t be allowed to retire. Healing wizards continue working without getting married, seemingly taking occasional breaks.”
What kind of black company is this? No way, I absolutely refuse to work until I die.
“I’m not completely satisfied with the way the country operates either. So. . .”
Conrad-san proposed a plan, and I eagerly jumped at it.
The next night, we were at the location Pauline-san foresaw.
With many subjects watching, I returned the magical power from the clouds to the earth. And this time, new patterns were engraved on my lower legs, from my knees to my ankles. If Victor hadn’t praised it as “beautiful,” I would have burst into tears.
The clouds visibly shrank, and the number of spectators increased day by day. I am now widely known as the saint among the people.
As the clouds diminished, the magic circle that Victor deployed also became smaller.
The final moment of the golden cloud came at night.
The shrinking cloud emitted a bright light, and after I returned the magical power to the earth, the golden cloud scattered golden dust into the night sky, slowly unraveled, and disappeared.
“Wow! Saint-sama, hooray!”
Amidst the growing crowd, I heard such voices, and Crown Prince Eldred, looking satisfied, approached me.
“Haru, and Victor. On behalf of the Kingdom of Kholdar, I express my deepest gratitude for what you have done. I can’t thank you enough.”
“We did what we could, Your Highness.”
“Allow me to show my gratitude for saving the country from a great disaster. For now, let’s return to the palace together and spend a relaxing evening.”
“Regarding that, Your Highness, I have a request.”
“Tell me anything. I will do my best to fulfill your request.”
The Crown Prince answered in front of the many people. So, with tears streaming down my face, I earnestly pleaded, “Since my mission is complete, please send me back to my original world. Return me to my family.”
The surrounding people joined in with their tears.
“Well, um. . .”
“I was summoned to this world against my will for the sake of Kholdar Kingdom’s crisis. Please, I beg you, release me now.”
It was expected that Crown Prince Eldred couldn’t give an immediate response in this situation.
That night, we stayed at Conrad-san’s mansion and used the mansion’s kitchen to make a large amount of gelato with Victor’s help.
Now, we are having a conversation while enjoying gelato after dinner.
“At the beginning, it’s important to make a strong move and extract concessions in negotiations.”
“As expected, Conrad-san. I didn’t think you were just a nice person.”
“Haru, I suppose that’s a compliment, right?”
“Of course.”
To be honest, I no longer have the intention to go back to my original world, even if it means crushing the summoner. With delicate plant patterns engraved all over my body from the decollete area down, I can’t imagine living a normal life as an office worker in Japan.
So my only request is for the country not to interfere. I want to be free. I want to be left alone. That’s the extent of my request, and I shouldn’t face any consequences for it.
Conrad-san’s plan was successful, and for now, we can live freely without interference from the state. We were rewarded with a large sum of money, which we graciously accepted.
However, we became too famous in the Kingdom of Kholdar. Even before we started selling rice porridge, there were long queues, and it sold out immediately. The same goes for the gelato. Whenever Victor and I stroll through the market, people split into two sides and bow deeply, as if I was Moses.
“What should we do? This is no longer a normal life, right?”
“It will settle down eventually. . . but I have a feeling it won’t. I don’t want to raise our children in this kind of environment.”
“Y-Yeah, you’re right.”
Please stop casually saying things that make my heart race.
So, we decided to use the gifts handed to us by Conrad-san in the capital city.
“Haru, what should we do?”
“I’ll write letters. To Sherry-san and everyone at the inn, Cyril-san, Pauline-san, Conrad-san, and all the people who have helped us.”
“Are we using this after all?”
In Victor’s hand were two identification cards that Conrad-san had handed him, placed in wooden frames like photo stands. Along with the identification cards, a considerable amount of gold coins was also given to us. The identification cards had different names for both of us.
After finishing writing several brief letters, we specifically told the people at the inn, “We’re heading to the capital.” Then we set off.
In reality, we were heading north to the Sloane territory, crossing through the deep forest and crossing the border to the neighboring kingdom of Easedale.
“If we don’t escape now, Haru will undoubtedly be bound to this country. The country won’t leave you alone forever. Although the prince reluctantly promised after negotiating in front of the public, for now, they’re just leaving us alone for the sake of the citizens. Eventually, we’ll be absorbed by the country. Don’t you hate that?”
“Yeah, I hate it.”
It was through a conversation like this with Victor that our decision to go to the neighboring country was made.
“Haru, let’s go to a neighboring country where no one knows our faces.”
“Let’s go! I wonder what kind of country it is.”
“I don’t know much either, but we have a highly skilled wizard with us. Leave it to me, and rest assured.”
“Fufufu. I’m counting on you, highly skilled one.”
Early in the morning, the two of us mounted our horses and headed north.
If we could enter the neighboring country before anyone noticed our escape, it would be ours. Laughing to ourselves, we urged the horses forward.
“Haru, what do you want to do once we reach the neighboring country?”
“I want to explore the markets!”
“You still love markets, huh?”
“Oh, markets are the best fun!”
We each only had one piece of luggage. We could gradually acquire personal belongings from now on.
“Once we arrive in the neighboring country, I want to settle down and live a peaceful life.”
“Yeah, let’s live happily together.”
“Yes! This time, we don’t need curtains made of bed sheets.”
“Alright!”
And now, we were at an inn in the neighboring kingdom of Easedale.
“Is this really enough?”
“Yeah, this is enough.”
On the table in front of me were a letter addressed to my younger brothers and parents from my original world and a basket overflowing with fruits. In the letter, I wrote about how I was living well in another world and sent the fruits of this world as proof of my life there. The fruits were pear-like in shape, with a deep red color and a crunchy texture, similar to Perle pears. They were a specialty of the Easedale Kingdom.
“Alright, let’s send them.”
“Please.”
Within the small magic circle drawn by Victor, the letters and fruits glowed with a pale blue light and disappeared. Victor said that the burn marks he had when he summoned me had healed.
“How about that? With the genius summoner’s touch, this is nothing.”
With a proud smile on his face, I gave Victor a peck on the cheek and said, “Victor, you’re exaggerating with the genius talk. Now, let’s go to the market today!” and headed towards the door.
“Yeah, let’s go. Maybe we’ll stumble upon a business opportunity.”
❂❂❂❂❂❂
From then on, we settled down in Easedale and lived happily. In the Kingdom of Kholdar, they seemed to be greatly disappointed by the disappearance of the saint and were desperately searching for her. However, they didn’t seem to have any intention of informing other countries about the saint’s disappearance. Perhaps they were afraid of other countries taking the saint.
After some time, I secretly received a letter from Pauline-san, who had become Cyril-san’s wife. According to the letter, the king had expected a marriage between me and Prince Eldred. Phew, that was close! I’m glad I escaped to this place!
Pauline-san said that once the handover was complete, she would retire and make way for a new visionary wizard.
As for the Prime Minister, he was stripped of his responsibilities and demoted to a commoner, and he was also sentenced to five years in prison. I didn’t feel sorry for him. Rather, I thought it was fortunate that he wasn’t executed.
Thanks to that, we lived a carefree life. Occasionally, I secretly used healing magic on people who were suffering from injuries or illnesses and had no money for treatment. But our main source of income was selling rice porridge and gelato with various toppings. Rice porridge and gelato sold well in this country too.
With the reward money we received from the Kingdom of Kholdar, we bought a small house with a garden and grew vegetables and flowers. In the middle of the garden, a small flower bed was created, and a golden powder that only I could see was overflowing from it. Following Cyril-san’s example, I looked for a house in such a place.
There was a woman in the neighborhood suffering from back pain, so I invited her for tea and had her sit on the bench in front of this flower bed. The result, of course. . .
Word spread among the neighbors that if they went to that house and sat on the garden chair, they would feel better. People who were desperate for relief started coming one by one.
I secretly used healing magic little by little on those who believed in the rumor and came to visit. I only gently brought my hand close to their bodies. A double healing from the magic of the earth. Of course, the effect was outstanding!
On our days off from business, we walked around searching for places where the magic of the earth was welling up. We placed benches in the spots where the golden powder was blowing strongly. Victor decorated the backrests with the words “Chair of Healing” in fancy letters.
“I think it’s not good to just place benches on someone else’s land without permission,” I said, but Victor replied, “In this world, as long as it’s considered a good deed, no one will complain.” But as someone raised in Japan, it bothered me. So, I decided to write a letter explaining the reason for placing the bench and a small amount of money to the landowners and send it anonymously.
One day, it seemed that the landowners had no complaints about the benches suddenly appearing. All the benches remained as they were, and it seemed that they were being carefully cleaned and maintained.
The Chairs of Healing became a quiet topic of conversation in the Easedale Kingdom. People who sat on the benches gradually felt better.
Chapter 57: Going Out Together Again Today
“Your Majesty, I recently heard an interesting story.”
“Oh? Heyden, I’d love to hear it.”
Heyden, the assistant Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Easedale, had heard about the story of the golden cloud that occurred in the neighboring southern country of Kholdar some time ago. As it was a flashy and attention-grabbing incident, it had already been reported to King Celdric. However, Heyden had brought the continuation of the story.
“Lately, ‘Chairs of Healing’ have been placed all over the kingdom. After investigating with my subordinates, it has been confirmed that those who have used them experience improvements in illnesses and injuries, although they remain calm. It has become a great blessing for those who cannot afford to see a doctor, and they are delighted.”
“Oh? I wonder who placed them.”
“I had the same thought, so I thoroughly investigated the dates when the chairs were placed. It turns out they started appearing a month after the incident in Kholdar.”
“Oh? That’s quite an interesting story.”
King Celdric of Easedale had ascended the throne only three years ago at the age of twenty-eight, but he was known as a wise king with a thoughtful personality and enjoyed high support from the people. The wise King Celdric looked at Heyden, his childhood friend and capable assistant, with an intrigued expression.
“The first Chair of Healing in our country was found in the house of a couple who had moved from Kholdar. Although their names were different, their appearances matched those of the saint who saved Kholdar from the calamity of the golden cloud and the appearance of the wizard.”
King Celdric momentarily showed a surprised expression but quickly burst into laughter with a joyful face.
“Hahaha. I see. So, the saint and the wizard escaped from Kholdar, is that right?”
“Yes. It seems that both of them wanted to avoid drawing attention and had experienced mistreatment related to their magical abilities.”
“That’s quite plausible. Kholdar has taken their prioritization of offensive magic to the extreme. In their efforts to cherish the wizards, who are born only once in a thousand or two thousand people, they tend to neglect those without magical abilities. Furthermore, they have been demanding unreasonable things from our country, relying on the power of their magic forces.”
“We were fortunate to have those two come to our country.”
“Heyden, do not make any obvious contact with them. If they have changed their names and are not boasting about their achievements, they probably wanted to live inconspicuously and escape. Let them live quietly in our country. However, in the future, we should conduct stricter inspections on those entering our country from Kholdar. It would be a pity if the two of them were forcibly taken back against their will.”
“Understood.”
“Perhaps the Chairs of Healing were created by the saint. Instruct the owners of the lands where the chairs are placed to manage them properly.”
After saying that, the young king looked out of the window towards the south. Then he exclaimed,
“Hahaha! Take that, Kholdar! Your years of arrogance have caught up with you!”
And he laughed heartily, showering insults that didn’t match his noble upbringing.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
Victor and I opened a tea and snack shop, as well as a light meal shop, about a twenty-minute carriage ride away from our home. It’s a small shop that the two of us manage. Of course, we also sell rice porridge and gelato.
Since it’s far from the border with Kholdar, people who don’t know me come to visit every day, and we continue to live a peaceful and enjoyable life.
Since more and more people started using the chairs in our open garden at home, we added three more benches. We prepared tea, baked goods, and light meals for those people and allowed them to use them self-service style while we were away. They are all priced at two small copper coins, and users put the coins in a box. There is no one who cheats. On the contrary, some people even leave vegetables and eggs in addition to the payment.
If there is one inconvenience in our current life, it is that I have to wear long-sleeved clothes and skirts that cover my ankles all year round. However, I can’t complain because it is common sense for married women in this country.
A while ago, we submitted our documents to the government. We officially became citizens of the Kingdom of Easedale and got married at the same time.
Normally, becoming a citizen as a foreigner is a strict process that takes at least two weeks, as the customers told us. However, for some reason, we received permission the next day, which surprised us. We were lucky.
Victor seemed overwhelmed with emotion, saying, “I have a family now.” I felt the same way.
“Victor, since we have a day off today, I want to go out and look for places where magic is surging in this country. Is that okay?”
“Oh, I also want to explore this country more. Should we bring the benches?”
“Yes, please.”
We sat side by side in the driver’s seat of the carriage, with Kuro on my lap, and set off. This country is very comfortable, and I love it.
❂❂❂❂❂❂
A hundred years later.
At a certain time a hundred years ago, a saint suddenly started living in the Kingdom of Easedale. However, no one has seen her.
The saint placed “Chairs of Healing” in various locations throughout the country, quietly supporting the health and longevity of the people.
Even now, a hundred years after the first chair was placed, the Chairs of Healing continue to be placed in the same locations, being managed and replaced. Some places even have roofs, and anyone in this country can use them.
The effectiveness of the Chairs of Healing has been confirmed by experts. Sitting on them can cure illnesses in infants and accelerate the recovery of new mothers after childbirth. They are also known to alleviate joint pain in the elderly. It is well-known that they accelerate the healing of injuries.
The royal family has established the only absolute rule: “Nobles, commoners, those with magical abilities, and those without should all share and use the chairs equally.” It is widely known that successive kings, queens, princes, and princesses also use the Chairs of Healing.
It was proven early on through experiments that the source of healing is not the chairs themselves but the locations.
Even now, a hundred years after the first Chair of Healing was placed, there are rare occasions when new Chairs of Healing are installed. It is highly likely that descendants who inherited the power of the saint are living as citizens of our country, as the healing effects of the new locations have been confirmed through investigations.
Furthermore, the Easedale royal family has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the saint, maintaining a no-comment stance.
Excerpt from “Traces of the Saint” by Zailus Auburn, a researcher of the saint.
―The End―
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