Chapter 126 - A Ghost Story and Marmie's Request
Before I knew it, it was time for dinner. The table was laden with food prepared by the castle staff. I wanted to ask about the ghost, but I knew it would make the mood awkward if I brought it up, so I decided to leave it to Mash-kun.
"Is a ghost a type of monster?" Mash-kun asked.
"...Last night, while I was asleep, I experienced sleep paralysis."
Marmie gulped down some fruit juice, looking satisfied. Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon where your mind is awake, but your body is still asleep and won't move. It's not a supernatural event in itself. Everyone waited for her to continue, but she showed no signs of elaborating.
"Is that it?"
Marmie nodded. The others exchanged glances, unsure how to react to her overly concise story.
"Could you tell us in a little more detail?"
At my words, Marmie nodded again.
"...I had a dream. I was walking down a dark road at night. I was in a forest and had no idea where I was. I looked ahead and saw a hill. It was a grassy meadow, and I thought if I climbed it, I’d be able to see the surrounding landscape. As I climbed, something started chasing me up the hill. It was a headless cow. I tried to run, but I was paralyzed and couldn't move. I fell, and the headless cow pinned me down, pressing its hoof into my back. Then, some kind of liquid started pouring down on me from above... It was blood."
"Isn't that... just a bad dream?"
Marmie nodded at my question.
"...In the middle of the sleep paralysis, I realized it was a dream and managed to open my eyes, but my body still wouldn't move. I must have been moaning or making some kind of noise, because Patricia came to check on me. The moment she touched me, I could move again and was able to sit up. When I did, I was covered in blood. My body, the bed, even the floor... there was a pool of blood everywhere."
"Eek!"
Mash-kun let out a shriek. I wish he wouldn't react like that in his current body. Shizuka looked just as terrified. Marmie's monotonous, detached way of speaking seemed to have been more than enough to frighten the two transfers.
"It's p-plasma, right?"
Mash-kun made a comment worthy of some long-lost scientist, one that no one in this world would understand. Do people still think that? It just reinforces my suspicion that she's lying about her age. The idea of ghosts being caused by plasma is scarier than the ghosts themselves, but I kept my mouth shut to avoid complicating things. I glanced over at Patricia, and she gave a deep nod, confirming that everything Marmie had said was true.
"The next day, when I was washing Lady Marmie's clothes and sheets, I asked the castle maids about it. Apparently, before this city was built, a herd of escaped cattle used to live on this hill. The people who settled here tried to capture the cattle and put them to work building the city, but the animals resisted and went on a rampage. So, they cut off all their heads."
Patricia finished her story. The implication was clear: what happened was the work of the cows' vengeful spirits. It was a pretty typical ghost story, though I hadn't heard this one before. Come to think of it, while Patricia occasionally got up to tend to Marmie, she was eating at the table with the rest of us. She was a curious presence. Wake was seated as well. I wondered if he was just playing along with Marmie's 'we're all friends' vibe.
"We've come to a terrible place. I want to go home..." Shizuka murmured, sounding genuinely heartbroken. Personally, I didn't think the story was anything to be scared of.
"The mystery of this paranormal phenomenon can be solved. In fact, I recently experienced something similar myself," I declared.
"...Really?"
Marmie looked at me with surprise. Patricia also had an astonished expression on her face. In fact, everyone at the table wore the same look. The only exception was Mash-kun. He was sending me frantic signals not to forget about Mizuki-chan. I cleared my throat.
"Well then, why don't you enlighten us?" Wake said in a teasing tone.
"First off, stories like that founding myth are just local rumors you can find in any town. And the headless cow only appeared in Marmie's dream, so let's set that aside for now as just a dream."
"...I didn't know the story about the cows until Patricia told me. It seems like too much of a coincidence, but maybe I heard it sometime in the past and just forgot."
Marmie nodded in agreement.
"Next is the sleep paralysis. That can happen to anyone due to sleep disorders or stress, so we can't call that a paranormal event either."
"...I see. It's true that I have my own worries and anxieties."
Again, Marmie nodded.
"Which leaves us with the fact that you woke up and were actually covered in blood."
Marmie and Patricia stared at me, holding their breath.
"You just got your period, didn't you? Fam had a huge meltdown over the same thing about a month ago."
"M-Master! That's supposed to be a secret!"
Fam shrieked, her face turning bright red. And with that, the case was closed. When I came to my senses, Patricia was standing right behind me. Then she clocked me with her fist.
"Lady Marmie said there was enough blood to form a pool on the floor, did she not? Losing that much blood would be life-threatening!"
"Is that true?"
I looked at Mash-kun.
"I-I-I don't know! I don't know anything!"
Mash-kun was in a complete panic. Cecily looked at me and sighed.
"Mizuki, you're so... well-developed. Don't tell me you haven't gotten it yet?"
"Of course I have! I get it, I get it!"
Mash-kun yelled on my behalf, clearly agitated. Cecily turned a quizzical look on him.
"Why are you getting so flustered, Mash?"
"B-Because I've seen it! I saw Mizuki bleeding buckets!"
"...Mash, have you lost your mind?"
The others were now completely convinced Mash-kun was insane. It looked like I'd have to step in to protect Mizuki's dignity.
"It's true. When I get my period, my room turns bright red with blood. That's how I got the nickname Bloody Mizuki. A 'period-appropriate' title, if you catch my drift."
The look of utter despair on Mash-kun's face told me my attempt to help had failed. And then, Patricia hit me again.
In the end, we decided to spend the night at the castle. I was walking down the hallway toward the bedrooms. Maira was walking beside me.
"Are you really, truly Mash?"
"You finally figured it out?"
Maira asked as if to confirm, so I nodded in response.
"I should have paid more attention to Fam's behavior. There's no way she'd play along with one of Mash's jokes and stick by Mizuki's side for so long."
Maira sighed. So she had been consciously staying near Fam's usual spot.
"Your words and actions made it seem like you'd completely swapped. But the activation condition for Shizuka's special skill..."
She trailed off.
"You mean the condition that it won't activate unless two people are in love?"
"Yes. I can tell that Mash is fond of Mizuki. That much is clear."
"Are you trying to say Mizuki doesn't like me?"
Her words carried an ominous undertone, and I started to feel anxious.
"No, I know Mizuki likes Mash, too. It's just that the 'like' she feels is... Cecily and Aira suspected the same thing I did, but it seems we were all mistaken."
"Hey, don't just leave me hanging with vague comments like that. Tell me properly."
Her tendency to come to her own conclusions only made me more nervous.
"N-No, it's nothing. I was wrong. I've done Mizuki a great disservice. And I even took it as a chance to make a move on her. How embarrassing."
"I've been telling you we were swapped the whole time, you know."
"You're right. By the way, Mash, you're getting quite good at being Mizuki."
"I know, right? I want to stay in this body forever."
"Please don't!"
I parted ways with Maira in front of Marmie's room.
I entered Marmie's chambers. The other members of Levante and Shizuka were to sleep in the adjacent room. I was sure Fam would be fine, but I was worried Mizuki would go into her 'boy mode' like last night and make a move on Maira or one of the others. Aira was a particular concern. She was dressed in a nightgown-like garment, waiting on the bed, ready for sleep. It was a lavish bed with a canopy. As expected, the room was furnished with luxurious items. On a small table sat a small, treasure-chest-like box. Inside, I presumed, was the crystal core I'd given her. There was no one else here. We were alone. I suppose since I'm Mizuki-chan right now, they don't see a problem with this.
"Is this the same room you stayed in yesterday, Marmie?"
Marmie nodded. The light from the fireplace and lamps wasn't great, but there didn't appear to be any bloodstains left on the floor.
"There's only one bed."
"...I'm scared, so sleep with me."
Marmie patted the spot next to her. When I sat down beside her, she scooted closer.
"You seem awfully calm. You already know the cause of the paranormal phenomenon, don't you?"
Marmie nodded.
"...I have a few requests for you, Mash."
"It's Mizuki-chan right now, but I'm listening."
"...I have a fiancé. I turned twelve today, so I'm supposed to marry him, but I've been granted a five-year grace period while I attend magic school."
"So magic school takes five years?"
"...There are various departments with different lengths. I'm in the elementary division, so it's five years. The general course is three years, and there are research divisions that can take ten years or more."
So Cecily was probably planning to enroll in the three-year course. And this matter with the fiancé was the same one Fam had consulted me about. Fam had said she would resolve it, but it seems there's been no progress. It's impossible for a commoner to interfere in the marriage of nobles. I waited silently for her next words.
"...My fiancé specializes in mind-manipulating magic. Once we're married, his magic will be used to rewrite my personality to his liking. That's why I've been allowed to behave so freely until now, without being bound by the customs and traditions of the nobility."
"You've never even met, right? Isn't it possible your personality is already to his liking?"
"...Mash, you don't know noble society. Besides, I'm not willing to bet my future on a possibility like that."
"That's true. In that case, let's have Racshell intimidate the guy."
"...That would be a problem. House Starunion couldn't remain in the Empire if we had someone who was threatened by Lady Racshell under our roof. At worst, the entire elven race could be exiled."
"Would it be okay in the Demon Kingdom, for example?"
Marmie nodded at my words.
"...The demonkin worship the Fifty Gods, but the ruling class worships the God of the End."
"I see."
I don't think Maira ever mentioned that. If the ruling class worships the God of the End, then they're in direct religious conflict with the human race, who primarily worship Racshell.
"...I still want you to take me, Mash. I want to travel with you. During that time, I want to live freely."
"Living freely is an illusion. No matter how you live, you're always bound by something. I thought I could live freely after being transferred to this world, but now I'm shackled by all sorts of constraints. Besides, I hear elves aren't permitted to marry other races. My party is already full, and I can't just take the only daughter of a powerful regent family on a journey."
"...I think I understand that. But if the constraints that bind me are the result of my own choices, I can accept them. With no options, I had given up long ago. But you, Mash, you can give me one more choice. Please, give me a chance."
"Have you talked to Wake and Patricia about this?"
They were the ones entrusted with her during this journey. Why would they leave Marmie alone with me?
"...Today, the one I invited was Mizuki-chan. And I asked them to let me be free, just for today. I want to fall in love and become an adult, too."
So she'd silenced them by framing it as a sleepover with Mizuki. That might work for tonight, but I couldn't imagine those two letting Marmie run wild. Ultimately, their political judgment would override her feelings.
"Are you sure I'm the one you want? Can you do it?"
"...If I try, I can. Mash doesn't complain about me being the way I am, and since Fam is in love with you, I think I'll be okay. Probably."
It seemed her clinginess up until now wasn't entirely from genuine affection, but also an attempt to win my favor. I'd suspected as much, but it was still a little disappointing. With a girl like Marmie, who had such a political background, I couldn't help but hesitate, especially given my promise to Fam. The same went for Claire and Karpana. It becomes hard to tell if it's love or politics. And in Marmie's case, I'm strongly opposed. Even if I explained that she was the one who asked, Fam would never accept it. If I were in Mash's body right now instead of Mizuki-chan's, she'd definitely be here, watching over us.
"I can't let you join the party."
"...About that, Cecily said she's going to magic school. While she's at school, I'll join the party."
"I would never remove Cecily from the party, no matter what. Besides, she's the only proactive one in Levante. Without her, we'd just be a bunch of shut-ins. And aren't you going to school too, Marmie?"
"...If you truly care about Cecily, Mash, you should let her go to magic school. The spells she knows are just the ones she learned from leveling up her profession. She's merely executing pre-generated formulas. By creating and structuring her own syntax, she can arrange components, link them, and transform them into more complex processes to create efficient, enhanced, and purpose-built magic. For example, that 'Full-Body Wash' spell you came up with is just a bunch of elementary spells strung together, making it inefficient and crude. By disassembling, restructuring, and reassembling it, it can be made efficient and refined. If she could do that, her potential would expand. I already understand these things and can do them myself. I was only planning to go to school to extend the time I have available."
Is it like programming? I'd always thought of magic as being similar to executable modules or applications running on a computer or smartphone. By leveling up my adventurer profession, I gained the ability to use elementary magic of the fire, wind, earth, and water attributes. It was like having those executable spells installed. Casting a spell was synonymous with running a module. Magic can be controlled to some extent without changing its fundamental nature, which is like providing arguments as launch conditions for an executable. So, using what I might compare to a script or shell, I linked the individual spells in a simple way to create my Full-Body Wash spell. At magic school, you probably learn how to build applications and develop your own.
She raised a finger and created a sphere of water. Then she placed it over my head. It cleaned my face and hair without blocking my nose. And what's more, it was warm water.
"I want to use this spell, too. Can you build magic from scratch?"
"...That's impossible. Unless you have a mage-type profession, you can assemble it in theory, but you won't be able to use it. Instead, I'll give you the one I built later, Mash."
So, using the programming analogy, I can write the code, but I can't build or compile it into an executable application. Is that it?
"Can Mizuki-chan use it?"
"...She can, but she's a knight, so she might run out of mana. And isn't it more convenient for you if she can't use it?"
"You have a point there."
I nodded.
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