Chapter 10 - Episode Nine: The Magic Otaku Unwittingly Evades Peril
"What is this?"
During the next day's magic lecture, I caught Roche-kun and handed him the results of last night's work.
Holding the two pieces of parchment I had thrust upon him, Roche-kun tilted his head in a cute way. He was older than me, but cute is cute. In any case, one of the parchments I gave him had a black dot drawn in the center of three concentric circles. The other had only a single circle, the same size as the outermost one of the three, with no dot in the middle.
"This is something to be used for a magic training method I devised. Both Ruria and I train in a similar way. If you don't mind, I was hoping you might try it as well, senpai."
"...Are you sure? Isn't this an Arcalai family secret?"
I couldn't help but blink at Roche-kun's reply. Ah, I see. So that's the misunderstanding he's arrived at.
"No. As I just said, this is something I came up with myself. However, I am confident that it is effective. If you don't believe me, you don't have to try it."
So declared a six-year-old. Roche-kun seemed to be struggling, looking back and forth between the parchment in his hand and my face, but he eventually made up his mind and spoke.
"...I understand. Could you please teach me how to use it?"
Phew, that's a relief. If he had refused, I honestly wasn't sure what I would have done. I'm teaching Roche-kun this method because I want to help him improve his magic skills. But at the same time, I also have the objective of collecting data on whether this training method is useful for mastering spells. Well, I'm pretty sure it will be effective, you know?
"Then please take the parchment home and stick it to a wall in your room. Stand a short distance from the wall, and first, just stare intently at the dot inside the three circles."
"I understand. And then?"
"For starters, that's all."
"That's all!?"
"Yes. Without thinking of anything else, just keep staring at it with all your focus. After concentrating on the dot for a certain amount of time, shift your gaze to the other parchment with just the single circle drawn on it."
"...What, specifically, do you mean by 'a certain amount of time'?"
"You could count to five hundred, for instance, but if you're actually counting, you'll get distracted by it. Don't worry about the time; just keep looking at the dot, and when your concentration starts to wane, shift your eyes to the other sheet."
"I see..."
"Next, while staring at the other parchment, imagine you can see the two inner circles and the black dot, just like on the parchment you were looking at before."
"...!"
"Even if it doesn't work well at first, if you repeat it every day, you'll start to see the inner circles and the black dot on the parchment with only the single circle, as if they were really there. Once that happens, you should be able to form a clear image when you make the hand signs or chant the spell name. I believe you'll stop failing, even when you try to cast it quickly."
"I see..."
That's right. This is a form of image training, similar to the "dice method" Ruria and I have been doing, but adapted for beginners. I thought that asking someone to suddenly visualize a die in their head and roll it was too high a hurdle, so I prepared this instead. The image of the dot in the three circles they were just looking at should remain on their retina, making it easier to reproduce that image on the other parchment.
Hmm? Why did Ruria and I start by rolling dice, you ask? Because I did this training in my previous life, and Ruria's a genius, so it's fine!
As I watched Roche-kun eagerly tuck the parchment into his pocket, I hoped this training would improve his magic skills. And if it proved effective, I planned to speak with my father and recommend that the entire private academy adopt this training. If Roche-kun had already shown results, the other students would likely be more willing to accept this training method.
"So, Ruria, what have you been doing this whole time?"
I glanced over my shoulder at Ruria, who was stuck to my back. She remained hidden behind me, making eight orbs of light fly around the two of us in random, circulating orbits. Is this her territory? Is she making a claim to it?
Ruria returned my gaze with a blank stare. Roche-kun, seeing us, seemed to decide it was best to just smile vaguely and let it go.
In the end, that day too, the other students just watched us from a distance and didn't approach.
A week had passed since I started attending the private academy. Roche-kun, Ruria, and I had grown quite close, and we now talked about all sorts of things during the magic lecture. Though when I say "we," it was mostly me who did the talking with Roche-kun. Recently, however, Ruria had refrained from her acts of intimidation (?), so I think she might be starting to warm up to him. I have a feeling we'll know each other for a long time, so I hope she gets used to him soon.
I also learned a little about Roche-kun's private life. His father is Baron Lamed, a financial bureaucrat who serves at the royal palace and was granted the title of baron. However, since it was an honorary peerage for a single generation, his son, Roche-kun, is treated as a commoner. His father is apparently a strict man who had Roche-kun thoroughly learn etiquette so that he wouldn't be embarrassed when interacting with the upper class. "Once I enroll in the magic academy, I'll be surrounded by the children of nobility, so I studied desperately for that time," Roche-kun had said with a wry smile.
The image training I taught him (which I named the "Triple Circle Method") seems to be showing gradual effects. He said he felt his casting of the [Light] spell had gotten a little faster. Even from my perspective, the sigils Roche-kun now formed seemed to be drawn with clearer lines than before. "I'm starting to see the phantom circle and dot on the parchment," he told me.
And then there was the method I developed for gathering surrounding magic power. Through various experiments, I discovered a few things about it. I can see the light of magic dwelling in grass, flowers, and trees, and I was able to absorb this magic by holding out my hand. However, once, when I got carried away absorbing magic, the flower I was touching began to wither.
This is largely speculation, but I think the magic power in this world is likely strongly related to life force. When I returned the collected magic power to the withering flower, it regained its original vibrant appearance after a while. In terms of my past life's knowledge, it seems to have properties similar to the 'ki' of hermit arts. My fainting after casting the [Light] spell was likely because the depletion of my magic power had directly damaged my own life force. Wow, that's no laughing matter.
Furthermore, I can probably "suck" magic power from animals and humans as well. But given the speculation I just mentioned, I want to refrain from trying that in the future. The last thing I want is to get a reputation as some kind of vampire or succubus.
And as for this magic absorption method (I was tempted to call it the 'Spirit Bomb' but restrained myself), it seems difficult for anyone other than me to learn. After all, even Ruria couldn't imitate it.
"There are lots of little particles of light floating around you... try to make them gather in your hand..."
"...?"
"Hmm, they're not gathering."
"...I can't feel them like I can the ones inside my body."
And so, even Ruria was unable to interfere with the ambient magic power. The reason I can is probably because I can actually see the magic around me. Well, Ruria has more than enough of her own magic power to begin with, so it's not a problem even if she can't master the magic absorption method. But my plan that it might help students with little magic power, like Roche-kun, had fallen apart.
Furthermore, the magic absorption method is not all-powerful. The magic power drifting in the atmosphere is, as it appears, fine and minuscule, so collecting it doesn't amount to a significant amount of mana. As I am now, I can't even gather enough to properly cast [Light], the most basic of spells.
And once I gather the surrounding magic, the area becomes something of a magical vacuum, and I can't collect any more. I either have to move to a different location or wait for the magic to fill the area again with the flow of the atmosphere. It seems there's no such convenient thing as a well of infinite magic.
So, in this past week, I've had both good and bad results regarding magic, but I've made decent progress. In that case, I also want to achieve some results with sorcery. To that end, I've been making various preparations this past week. To put the finishing touches on those preparations, I'll go to Hanna's family home tomorrow.
The next day, Ruria and I skipped the morning lecture and headed into the city. Our companions were the usual Hanna and Laz-san. Normally Hanna would follow behind us, but today she was our guide, so she walked next to Ruria. Laz-san was next to me, forming a line of four, two adults flanking two children. It was very poor manners, but the Noble District has wide streets and few people traveling on foot, so as long as we watched out for the occasional carriage, it was fine.
To get permission for this outing, I had negotiated persistently with my parents for the past week. Not only were we skipping a lecture, but they said they couldn't let two children and Hanna go far on their own. In the end, I managed to persuade my parents with reasons such as Ruria and I being far ahead of the other students in general education, and the need for even the heir of a noble family to broaden his horizons about the world. Even so, my parents were adamant that Laz-san accompany us as a guard.
No, even that was a concession. At first, they were saying things like, "You can go, but you must use the carriage." If we used the only carriage our family owned, what were they supposed to do? A Royal Magic Advisor arriving at the palace on foot would surely be looked down upon by the other nobles.
"I've never been to this area before. It has a very different atmosphere."
"Hehe. The area around the Arcalai manor is all other nobles' manors, after all."
"Even on the edges of the Noble District, there are smaller residences and shops. Of course, they are all properties owned by people of status," Laz-san added.
I walked along the cobblestone street, chatting with Hanna and Laz-san. The road sloped gently downwards, continuing toward the city wall visible in the distance. I was full of curiosity about this new place, but Ruria, as usual, didn't join the conversation, silently following along at her own pace.
The royal capital of Hanoku is centered on the royal castle, which sits atop a small hill, and is surrounded by a double wall. The inner wall encloses the Noble District, which is the Uptown, and restricts entry and exit to and from the general residential area in the Downtown area below the hill. Hanna's house, our destination, is on the outskirts of the Noble District, near the city wall. It's right in front of the gate connecting to the downtown commercial district. While it may not compare to the large stores along the main street that runs straight from the royal castle to the outside of the capital, for an up-and-coming merchant house, it's quite a prime location.
The city wall, nearly five meters high, loomed closer. The area in front of the gate connecting to the downtown was a small square, and Hanna's father's shop, the Dalet Trading Company, was built facing it. Hanna modestly called it a newcomer, but it was quite an impressive establishment. The foot traffic in the Noble District increased sharply around here, and I could see a considerable number of people going in and out of the shop.
As it got crowded, Ruria clung to my back, her usual spot. Laz-san stood close to us, his eyes scanning the surrounding people vigilantly. There were guards on duty in the square, so I thought he was being overly cautious, but I suppose that's his job. Hanna asked one of the shopkeepers to announce us, and we were led to the back of the Dalet Trading Company.
---At that moment, I was oblivious to the figure watching us from a distant street corner.
"Saki-sama, for you to come all this way to such a place, I am truly and deeply honored. I, Seda Dalet, will procure anything you desire in an instant. Please, do not hesitate to ask for anything at all."
Hanna's father, Dalet-shi, welcomed us in a reception room at the back of the shop. As expected of a trading company with a shop in the Noble District, the reception room we were shown to was lavishly decorated. The furnishings, such as the sofa and table, were clearly high-quality items, likely for receiving distinguished guests. It probably cost more than our reception room at home. Our family takes care with our manor and attire to a degree that maintains our dignity, but we are far from words like "luxury" or "ostentation."
Dalet-shi was a man with a calm demeanor, looking to be in his early old age, with a gentle tone and a disarming smile. I remembered that a high-ranking official at a financial institution I frequented in my past life was just like him. He was humble, but not obsequious. His clothing was of fine quality, befitting the owner of a trading company, but it wasn't the kind that flaunted wealth to impress us. I could see how he had managed to build a merchant house in the Noble District in a single generation.
"Your excessive greetings are most kind. Ruria and I have been raised by Hanna for as long as we can remember. I feel a fondness for you, Seda-dono, Hanna's esteemed father, as if you were my own grandfather. I hope that you will continue to lend your strength to the Arcalai family in the future."
"Such gracious words. It is the highest honor to be entrusted with your daughter and to be relied upon in such a manner."
Ugh. It feels gross even saying it myself. To be frank, this kind of exchange is not my style. But I might have to have these kinds of conversations with nobles in the future, so I'll just have to endure it as practice. With Hanna's father, even if my wording is a little off, it shouldn't turn out badly.
Just then, Hanna entered the reception room carrying a tea set. She had left immediately after guiding us to this room, but it seems she went to prepare tea, being in her own familiar home. Dalet-shi watched with narrowed eyes as she placed the tea in front of us. And Ruria, don't reach for the sweets the instant they're put down. I had no choice but to give a slight bow to Dalet-shi and say, "Please forgive my companion's lack of decorum."
"Not at all. Please, Saki-sama, have some as well."
Dalet-shi's smile deepened as he offered me tea. Well, he didn't have much choice but to say that. I didn't resist and said, "Then, if you'll excuse me," taking a sip of the tea. Oh, a deep, bitter flavor of herbs, coupled with the refreshing scent of citrus. As a former Japanese person, I miss green tea, but this kind of herbal tea is also nice. As expected of a merchant, he serves good tea.
After serving us and Dalet-shi, Hanna offered tea to Laz-san, who was standing behind the sofa we were sitting on. Laz-san tried to refuse politely, saying, "No, I'm fine," but Hanna insisted with a very nice smile.
"Oh, but this is my family home. I am the host, and you, Laz-san, are the guest. Please, have some."
Laz-san chuckled and relented, "Well then, if you'll excuse me, I'll have it like this," accepting the cup and saucer while still standing and taking a sip. Ruria watched Hanna and Laz-san laughing together, nodding as she stuffed her cheeks with sweets. What's with that benevolent gaze?
Oh well. This is a good opportunity, so I'll get down to business. I placed my half-finished tea on the table and spoke to Dalet-shi.
"Actually, I would like to purchase a short sword."
"Oh. A short sword, you say?"
"Yes. It may be a bit dangerous for a child's toy, but I would like to have one for self-defense. It doesn't need to be a professional-grade weapon like a soldier would use. Something easy to handle and unadorned would be fine."
Yes, this was the purpose of my visit today. To obtain a magic weapon. Not a weapon of magic, but a weapon to be used when performing sorcery. When I thought of trying out the sorcery from my past life in this world, I realized I would need various things. One of them was this magic weapon.
Unlike the magic of this world, where effects manifest with a single gesture or incantation, the sorcery I learned in my past life is brought about by performing rituals. The magic weapon is used during these rituals. No, no, for those of you thinking it's a dagger for slitting the throat of a sacrifice on an altar, you're wrong. A sacrificial dagger could arguably be called a magic weapon, but unfortunately, that area is outside my specialty.
So, how is a weapon used in a ritual? It's swung and held in time with gestures, used for what you might call striking a pose. To put it that way might make it sound trivial, but in any ritual, not just sorcery, atmosphere and posturing are important.
In my past life's terms, think of it like the purification wands wielded by Shinto priests, or the crucifix held up by Catholic priests. To put it in gaming terms, performing a ritual while equipped with a magic weapon gives a bonus to the effect.
There's a rule that this magic weapon must be handmade by the magician who will use it. By creating it with one's own hands, it attunes to one's aura and helps to manifest the sorcery. However, that doesn't mean I have to forge a dagger by striking iron.
"Also, could you arrange for some red paint that can be applied to metal? It's embarrassing, like something a child would do, but I'd like to paint the blade of the dagger red."
I am a child, I thought, chiding myself as I brazenly said this. The "handmade" part of making a magic weapon mainly refers to the decoration. This time, I plan to make a "Fire Short Sword," so it needs to be decorated in red. If word of this short sword purchase reaches my parents, I hope they'll just think that their little boy, like any boy, wanted his own cool weapon.
"Hmm. The short sword is one thing, but a paint that won't come off metal will need to be specially ordered. For now, would you like to see the short swords we have in stock?"
Dalet-shi said this and rang a handbell on the table, instructing a shopkeeper to check their inventory. I had heard from Hanna beforehand that the Dalet Trading Company deals in a wide range of goods, including weapons, farm tools, harnesses, foodstuffs, and other miscellaneous items. Though, according to Hanna, "We can't compete with the established specialty stores since we're latecomers, so we just deal in everything."
At this moment, Laz-san leaned down to my ear and whispered.
"I have a small matter to attend to, so I'll be stepping out. I will return shortly."
That's unusual, I thought, nodding to Laz-san. He bowed to Dalet-shi, said "I'll be back soon" to Hanna, and left the reception room. Just then, I thought I saw a powerful swirl of magical glitter behind him and instinctively looked back. But the swirl of magic I thought I saw for a moment vanished immediately. What was that just now? I wondered, tilting my head inwardly, as I responded to Dalet-shi, who was making conversation to keep me from getting bored while we waited.
In the end, Laz-san didn't return until our business was concluded. Dalet-shi and I got excited talking about Hanna's childhood stories, Hanna repeatedly said how embarrassing it was, and Ruria single-mindedly devoured the sweets.
Eventually, a shop employee returned with several short swords. I carefully compared the ones laid out on the table and chose a simple, single-edged short sword of a moderate size. The grip wasn't too large for my hand, and the blade was short, making it seem suitable for a child to hold.
Considering that the blade would be thicker after being painted, I asked to have the sheath remade slightly larger. Including the leather belt and other fittings for hanging it from my waist, it was arranged for everything to be delivered to the manor with the paint in about ten days.
I paid a deposit from the allowance I had been saving for this day and shook hands with Dalet-shi to seal the deal. It was only then that Laz-san, who had stepped out, finally returned. Since we were all together, we decided to take our leave. I thanked Dalet-shi for his hospitality, and he replied, "Please feel free to stop by anytime." I plan to be in need of various things in the future, so I'll be sure to rely on him even without being told.
"So, what was your business, anyway?"
On the way back to the manor, I asked Laz-san. At this rate, we'll make it back for lunch, so we can attend the magic lecture at the academy this afternoon, I thought.
"No, it was nothing of consequence. I apologize for being late in returning."
Laz-san didn't reveal his business and simply bowed his head gravely. "Don't worry about it," I replied, glancing at Hanna, but she just looked back as if to say, "What?" Well, it's not like I doubt him. He's served the Arcalai family as a retainer since his parents' generation, and I've known his earnest character since I was born. It was probably either something not worth reporting to the head of the house, or something he didn't want a child to hear.
I decided to forget about it and headed back to the manor, chiding a cheerful Ruria—who had been given sweets as a souvenir—for trying to eat them while walking.
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Time rewinds slightly.
The man sat on a chair near a peephole on the second floor of a building facing the square. His gaze was fixed, to a degree that wouldn't seem unnatural, on the entrance of the shop where his target had disappeared.
The target, who usually never went anywhere but back and forth between the manor and the private academy, had headed in a completely different direction early this morning, and the man had panicked. He hurriedly contacted his associates to have them follow, while he himself returned to their base of operations. When he received word that the target had entered the Dalet Trading Company on the outskirts of the Noble District, he rushed to re-check their locations throughout the capital. Fortunately, he confirmed there was a vacant property facing the square in question, and after swapping with the associate who had been tailing them, he slipped into the building.
The man was skilled at this kind of stakeout. Both the Arcalai manor and the private academy were difficult to approach, so surveillance was his primary mission. Usually, he observed from a base a sufficient distance away from the manor or academy, but this time the location was bad. In a downtown square, he could disguise himself as a street vendor or something, but doing that in the Noble District, even on the outskirts, would be completely out of place.
In the end, he had to hole up on the second floor of a building he had illegally entered as a makeshift measure, but he was used to watching from a window. People surprisingly don't tend to look higher than their own heads. As long as he didn't move unnecessarily and continued to observe from an angle that was hard to see from the shop in question, he would be fine.
Holding his breath and trying to erase his presence, the man thought. That shop was apparently the family home of a servant who worked at the target's manor, but why would he go to the trouble of visiting? Isn't it normal to summon a merchant to the manor? Even if he wanted to meet the shopkeeper, it's common sense for the shopkeeper to visit the manor. Besides, what would a child like that have to talk about with the head of a trading company?
The fact that the target was far from the manor today also bothered him. Depending on the client's intentions, there was a possibility they might make a move on the way back from the shop. The man's role was surveillance, and rough stuff was handled by others, but what were they planning to do by kidnapping a child like that? A thought unbecoming of someone in his line of work briefly crossed his mind.
The man was the type to do his job properly, even with lingering questions. While trying not to look only in the direction of the shop, he surveyed the square with a blank expression, his face still. This was a basic surveillance technique: keeping his gaze unfocused and straight ahead, widening his field of view to catch any movement. As he paid attention to the passersby, the target's attendant emerged from the shop entrance.
A young man named Laz Heim. He was an attendant of the Arcalai family and had recently been accompanying the target to and from the private academy. The man had long felt that this Laz was not to be underestimated. He always told his associates to be extremely careful not to be noticed by this man during surveillance.
After leaving the shop, Laz avoided the other pedestrians and headed straight... too straight! in his direction. His steps were clearly aimed this way. Was I discovered? Did the associate who took over for me make some mistake? His thoughts raced, and his heart pounded against his ribs like a drum. Just as the attendant was a few steps from the building's entrance, the man couldn't bear it anymore and stood up from his chair.
"What do you want? In such a hurry."
Before the man's eyes as he turned stood a tall, robed old woman. Soundlessly, without a presence, in a building that had certainly been empty when the man entered.
"Eh..."
Before the man could say anything, the old woman's fingers quickly formed a sign, and her lips whispered a short incantation. That sight was the last thing the man saw as his vision went black, and his consciousness was swallowed by darkness.
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Laz entered through the back door of the vacant house, climbed the stairs, and opened the door to the second-floor room. Inside was Ester Adoni Arcalai, looking down at a collapsed man. Laz closed the door, walked over to Ester, and knelt.
"My Lady, I am deeply sorry to have troubled you with this."
Ester crossed her arms and replied in a tone that suggested she couldn't care less.
"It's fine. With things like this, it's best to be overly cautious. If you prepare carelessly out of overconfidence and something major happens, you'll regret it more than you can imagine."
As she spoke, Ester rolled the fallen man over with the toe of her shoe. He had an unremarkable face and was dressed like a servant of some noble. His chest was rising and falling faintly, but the man showed no signs of waking up despite being kicked roughly.
"Like the one snooping around the back of the shop, I doubt he knows anything. Still, we'll interrogate him just in case, and after that, just threaten him a bit and throw him out."
"If we could at least find out which noble gave the order, that would be something."
"The number of people who find us bothersome is more than you can count. No matter who it is, if they want to meddle, I'll just have to teach them a lesson."
With a scoff, Ester snapped her fingers. At the same time, the [Unseen Servant] that had been waiting behind Laz was dismissed and vanished into thin air. She could have simply ordered it away with a thought, but the old woman had always been fond of such theatrical gestures.
"Well, I'll leave the cleanup to you. If this teaches those fools to behave themselves a little, maybe I can finally enjoy my retirement."
Laz bowed his head in silence. A short whisper was heard above him, and when Laz raised his head a moment later, Ester was gone, leaving only the man sleeping on the floor.
"Well then, let's get this over with quickly. Making Saki-sama and the others wait too long would be a disgrace to my position as an attendant."
Laz muttered this to himself and approached the fallen man.
This is episode nine. I'm starting to feel the story progressing, bit by bit. There's so much I want to write, but fitting it all into the story is quite a challenge. I'll do my best to continue, so I hope you'll stick with me.