Chapter 18 - The Magic Otaku Blames the Client
The moment I saw the magic circle, I was overcome with a fierce, internal excitement. This was the first piece of evidence proving that ritual magic existed in this world. It had most likely been passed down through my family since the age of the ancient kingdom, when such magic was still in use. I felt an infinite gratitude for all the ancestors who had preserved it for so long without it being lost.
The star shape is a pentagram. Judging by the sign in the center, this must be a Pentagram of Fire. And the letters written around it are probably Holy Names… I get it, I get it. The magic circles in this world are no different from the ones I studied in my past life!
Overwhelmed with emotion, I forgot to breathe as I scanned the magic circle from end to end. This was bad. I could stare at this forever. I was so engrossed that I didn't even notice my grandmother calling out to me.
"…Saki, Saki. What is it?"
"Ah, no, I'm sorry. It was just so fascinating."
"…Hmph. Well then, can you two read these letters?"
At my grandmother's words, I finally turned my attention to the lines of text written at the top of the parchment. It made sense that a normal person would be more interested in what looked like writing. The considerable amount of text wasn't in some unknown script, but in the letters still commonly used today. However…
"There are only consonants."
The alphabet used in this world—or at least, in this country—was divided into vowels and consonants, just like the alphabet in my previous life. But the text on this parchment was composed solely of consonants. Without vowels, they couldn't form words, nor could they be pronounced.
"Couldn't you just supply the vowels?" Ruria asked.
"That's what I thought, too. But no matter what combinations I tried, I couldn't form a single coherent sentence."
I see. It was a cipher. And the method of hiding vowels was something I recognized from my past life's knowledge: Hebrew.
Hebrew, used by the Jewish people since before the common era, was a language considered basic knowledge for any practitioner of Western occultism. Many ritual magic incantations were recommended to be chanted in Hebrew. It was also a well-known fact that ancient documents written in Hebrew often omitted vowels. Even the Tetragrammaton was written without vowels so that those without the proper knowledge couldn't read it, all due to the commandment in the Torah: "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain."
Of course, the consequence of this was that after the Diaspora, there was no one left to teach the correct pronunciation, leading to a long and protracted debate over what it should be.
And Hebrew has a long history of cryptography. After all, those people have been obsessed with interpreting the Bible since ancient times. They spent ages doing things like, "By reinterpreting this phrase in this verse this way, the hidden will of God is revealed." It was only natural that they'd accumulate a great deal of expertise.
"Grandmother, may I borrow some parchment and a pen?"
"You may, but I can't have you copying it directly. This is supposed to be a secret art, so it would be a problem if you copied it and then lost the copy."
"No, I just want to jot some things down while I think. Please."
My grandmother seemed a bit suspicious, but she still took a few sheets of parchment from the desk and handed them to me. With pen in hand, I began to stare down the ciphertext. This was probably a combination of several methods. Not only were the vowels omitted, but the consonants had likely been rearranged as well.
The question was what kind of substitution rule was used… I just hoped it wasn't Gematria. That stuff is an absolute nightmare. For now, I decided to try one of the simpler Jewish letter substitution methods.
The method, or rather the rule, was exceedingly simple. Just as the alphabet in my past life started with A and ended with Z, the letters in this world had an order. Following that order, the first letter was swapped with the last, the second with the second-to-last, and so on. It was one of the most basic techniques in the art of letter substitution known as Temurah. Following this rule, I converted the letters on the parchment and wrote them down on the sheet in my hand.
Oh, I think I got it. These first few letters seem to read "eternal" or "everlasting." Feeling a sense of progress, I rode the momentum and converted the remaining letters, scribbling them down at a furious pace. Ruria, who had been peering over my shoulder, began to read them aloud.
"O primordial flame… root of all life… which burns through eternity…"
Wow! For her to guess and insert the missing vowels almost at the exact moment I wrote down the converted letters was incredible. I'd thought it before, but Ruria's natural intelligence was astounding. The speed at which her mind worked was unreal.
Once I finished converting the scroll's cipher, I took another piece of parchment and wrote out the full text, this time adding the vowels just as Ruria had read them. After writing it all out, I was certain. This was an incantation. An incantation for a ritual to summon a Fire Elemental, most likely using the magic circle drawn below it. This was amazing. A major discovery.
I handed the two completed sheets of parchment to my grandmother for the time being. She took them with a troubled expression, comparing the unfurled scroll with the parchment in her hands as she began to mutter.
"So this becomes this, and then this. The relationship between the letters on the scroll and the ones on the first sheet is… Saki, what did you do?"
"I swapped the beginning with the end."
"…Ah, I see. When you put it like that, it's quite simple."
That was my grandmother for you. To understand with just that explanation. After looking everything over, she placed the two parchments on the desk and pressed her fingers between her eyes.
"It's like a piece of a poem, isn't it? Given what it is, that's to be expected, but it's full of old phrasing and archaic words. Ruria, it's amazing you could read this at your age."
Praised by my grandmother, Ruria puffed out her chest as if to say, "Heh." Her expression remained as stoic as ever, but she looked so proud I could almost hear her snort. As for the archaic language, that was the result of our struggle with old documents in the library of the capital's Great Temple. Without that experience, neither Ruria nor I would have been able to guess the correct vowels. I had nothing but gratitude for the temple's librarian, Laila-san.
"Well, thanks to you two, we've finally managed to read this scroll that has been a mystery for so long, but it seems it isn't very useful after all. The drawing here doesn't seem to have any relation to the poem's content, either. I wonder why something like this was passed down in our family for generations…"
Grandmother sighed, tossing the parchment onto the scroll. I suppose she was right. On its own, the scroll's content was meaningless. At least, to anyone who didn't know how to use it.
"Grandmother. I have a request."
I straightened my posture and looked my grandmother directly in the eyes. She returned my gaze with a serious expression of her own.
"Tell me."
"I wish to study the contents of this scroll further. Would you grant me your permission?"
At those words, my grandmother seemed to ponder for a while. No, no, please, just say "yes." I have a magic circle and a ritual incantation. I have to put this into practice. After a pause that felt long enough to make me anxious, the answer she gave was not the permission I sought.
"Saki. Just what is it that you know?"
"…What do you mean by that?" I asked, though I already knew what she meant. But this was the kind of question that couldn't be answered so easily.
"You deciphered something that generations of family heads could not, in what was practically a single glance. And it's not just that. There's also that training method for 'Vision' you've started teaching at Levi's academy. I suspect there are other things you've taught Ruria here that you've kept from me and Levi. I am asking you where, and how, you learned these things."
My grandmother's words were quiet and calm, but her expression was as heavy as a mountain of stone. Pierced by those gleaming eyes that seemed to say, I see right through you, I felt my entire body freeze. My heart began to pound in my chest like an alarm bell, and I was so paralyzed I could hardly breathe. So this is what it feels like to be breathless.
I was not just a simple six-year-old. I was fairly young in my previous life, too, but I'd been chewed out by my fair share of rough bosses and clients. But the person before me now was a blood-soaked hero, a great magic user who had slaughtered many in war and was feared even by her own allies, "The Witch" Ester Adoni Arcalai. To be honest, I was one step away from losing my composure entirely. Still, I somehow managed to force strength back into my gaze to meet hers, while on the other hand relaxing my body and desperately exhaling a shaky breath. Phew.
I see. Of course. She can't just let this go anymore. I am, for all intents and purposes, a six-year-old child, and I've had this much of an impact on our viscounty and its surroundings. I had a feeling that a day would come when I'd be questioned like this.
But when it came to matters of ritual magic, I had no intention of holding back. The other magic-related things were more like a bonus. Mastering ritual magic was my goal from my previous life, and I could not compromise on it. On top of that, the leader of the order I might one day join had asked me to spread ritual magic throughout the world.
Therefore, my actions from now on could create even greater ripples for my family and this country. When that happens, what I'll need is the understanding and cooperation of those around me. I learned the hard way through my social experiences in my past life that trying to push a project forward selfishly never works. So this time, too, I need to proceed by gathering allies and preparing the groundwork.
The problem was, gaining that understanding would be difficult. I had absolutely zero confidence that I could give them a convincing explanation. If I honestly said, "I have the memories and knowledge from a life in another world, and I'm using them," would they believe me? I could see myself getting bogged down in endless explanations. Even then, they probably wouldn't be truly convinced, and the effort and time would be a waste.
So, knowing it was a poor move, I reached for another option. Yes, the one where you pass all responsibility to the client.
"…I was taught."
"By whom?"
"By the Goddess of Magic, in a dream."
"The Goddess taught him in a dream. Mother, did you accept that answer?"
The royal capital, Arcalai Manor. The night of the day Saki had solved the scroll's riddle. In the dimly lit study of the head of the house, three figures were illuminated by a small lamp on the table: Levi, Sarah, and Ester. The question had come from Levi, who sat with his arms crossed and a troubled look on his face. Sarah rested a hand on her cheek, listening to the conversation between her husband and mother-in-law with a look of bewilderment. The one who had been asked, Ester, took a puff from her favorite long pipe, exhaled a thin stream of smoke, and then answered.
"Let me ask you instead. What do you two think?"
"It is difficult to believe… but I do not think Saki is lying."
Levi's tone was hesitant, but he clearly denied the possibility that Saki was lying. Ester nodded at his answer and turned her gaze to Sarah, prompting her. Sarah met Ester's eyes squarely and answered with a passionate tone.
"That child, our child, is not one to tell a blatant lie. I believe there is a reason he can only explain it that way. A little while ago, the children were visiting the temple quite often. Perhaps Saki had been hearing something like a divine message long before that…"
At his wife's words, Levi inwardly grunted in agreement. Around the time Saki started attending the academy, he had suddenly asked to go to the temple. It had been during a conversation where Levi mentioned Isis, the Goddess of Magic. If Saki had been hearing a voice from before then and went to the temple to confirm if it was the goddess, it all made sense.
After hearing both of their responses, Ester began to speak with a sigh.
"Before coming here, I asked Maria as well. She said something similar to you two. 'If it's Saki, I suppose something like that could happen.' For my own grandson, he has a strange sort of credibility in a very strange way."
As Ester shrugged and took a drag from her long pipe, Levi asked again.
"So, what do you think, Mother?"
"I don't believe it."
Ester's reply was blunt. But she raised a hand to silence the objections from Levi and Sarah and continued.
"I don't believe it, but it is also true that I cannot deny it out of hand. That boy can increase his own magic power and Ruria's. He can learn a spell just by watching someone else cast it. And it is the same with that 'Vision' training method he taught his friend. I doubt anyone in this world could teach such things. Not unless the boy knew them from the very beginning."
"From the very beginning… that seems even more impossible than a revelation from the Goddess."
Levi knit his brows as he voiced his disagreement with his mother's words. In response, Ester retorted in an amused tone.
"Not necessarily. There are ancient legends about such beings. They're called 'otherworldly visitors,' and they're said to appear from nowhere, give blessings to the local people, share completely new culture and knowledge, and then leave without a trace. Their forms vary; sometimes they're human, sometimes they're strange creatures."
At these words, Sarah quietly snapped. In a cold voice that belied her usual gentle manner of speaking, she addressed Ester.
"Saki is the child I carried in my womb and gave birth to. He is, without a doubt, our son. He is not some suspicious being from who-knows-where. Or are you suggesting, Mother-in-law, that Saki has been replaced by some unknowable thing?"
"Ah, Sarah, my words were poorly chosen. Saki is my dear grandson to me as well. I don't doubt that. It's just that when I recalled the legend of the 'otherworldly visitors,' a thought occurred to me. What if they don't always come from somewhere else? What if, sometimes, they are born among people?"
Seeing Ester's apologetic demeanor, Levi had a somewhat disconnected thought. So Sarah does talk back to 'Master' sometimes. Shaking himself back to the present, he cleared his throat deliberately to get the women's attention.
"But Mother. Whether it's a divine message or an 'otherworldly visitor,' they both seem equally unlikely, do they not?"
"That they do… At first, I thought Saki might have had some strange ideas put into his head by the priests at the temple, but that's not it, is it?"
"No. According to Laz, who accompanied them, Saki and Ruria spent all their time in the library at the temple and exchanged words with no clergy other than the librarian."
"Hanna said the exact same thing."
"I thought as much. Besides, if Saki had let it slip to those people that he was hearing a goddess's voice, there would be a huge uproar by now. He'd either be hailed as a miracle child or persecuted as an infidel who impersonates a god. Either way, nothing good would have come of it. Saki must have understood that and kept it to himself all this time."
With a sigh, Ester brought the long pipe to her lips once more. All three showed pensive expressions, and the conversation paused. But then, Sarah's face lit up as if she had an idea.
"Mother-in-law, what did Ruria say? She was there as well, wasn't she?"
"Do you really think that girl would say anything of her own accord?"
"You're right…"
Seeing Sarah's dejected face, Ester continued, "Besides."
"Whatever Saki knows, whether the story about the goddess is true or a lie, to Ruria, it's all 'irrelevant'."
"Is that so? Ruria seems… quite fixated on Saki."
"Exactly. This is just a hunch, but I think that on top of that, Ruria has entrusted the very deepest core of her being to Saki. If Saki says it's white, it's white. If he says it's black, it's black. For that girl, whatever Saki says is everything, and the rest is just trivial."
"That is…"
Ester and Sarah, the two women, fell silent with thoughtful expressions. Levi, the only man present, had maintained his silence from the beginning, knowing it was best not to carelessly comment. He had learned from experience that a man joining a women's conversation on such a topic never led to anything good.
"In any case," Ester finally said, breaking the long silence with a slightly dismissive tone.
"Saki's knowledge will remain a secret between us for now. As for what he's teaching at the academy, the students must be carefully selected and sworn to secrecy. And we will absolutely not press Saki to reveal his secrets. This time was a close call, you know? That boy is sharp. You should assume he'll see right through us if we're thinking things we shouldn't be."
"I agree. Considering he shared the Triple Circle Method with me, it seems Saki has no intention of keeping all his knowledge hidden. He will likely tell us about other things in time. Until then, we will simply face him as family, without being overly cautious."
"Saki was always such an easy child, but I never thought we would have to worry about something like this. I wish I had the same kinds of worries as other mothers."
As Ester nodded at Levi's response, Sarah placed a hand on her cheek and lamented with a sigh. Hearing this, Ester let out a hearty laugh.
"I'm afraid you'll have to give up on that. Neither Saki nor Ruria could be called ordinary children. You and Maria should just accept it as the destiny of having children who are far too brilliant."
"I was never able to meet your mother while she was alive, but I truly wish I could have spoken with her. I feel she would have understood my feelings perfectly right now."
"Sarah, are you sure you haven't been getting some bad influence from Maria? You were never the type to say such things."
It's more likely she's being influenced by you, Mother, Levi thought, but did not say it aloud. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, he did his best to diminish his presence. As he weathered their bickering, a silent voice echoed in his mind.
'My apologies for the late hour. The surveillance target is on the move. They have joined a group and are leaving the capital in secret.'
Hearing the content of the message in the voice of a familiar subordinate, Levi's expression hardened, and he threw cold water on their argument.
"Mother, our target is moving. They've joined a group and are leaving the capital this very night. It is possible they were hired to harm Saki and the others."
The moment she heard this, Ester stopped her argument with Sarah and stood up. A dangerous light filled her eyes.
"They took their sweet time. They must have gathered their people after confirming we left the capital, so they couldn't catch us on the way there. So they plan to attack on the way back. And the target is with them, too. It was a good thing we borrowed Nathan and his men."
"It is not yet certain, but given the timing, the possibility is high."
"That's another thing that's 'irrelevant.' Let's clean them up nicely and remind their employers just who they're picking a fight with."
Then, Ester glanced to the side. Sarah had stood up and was watching the exchange between her mother-in-law and husband with an anxious look. Ester walked over to Sarah, wrapped an arm around her back, and whispered in her ear.
"Don't you worry. I'm with them. They won't lay a single finger on Saki or Ruria. In fact, they won't even realize anything happened. Wait for them to return without a care in the world."
"…Yes."
At Ester's words, Sarah gave a small nod, then wrapped her arms around her back and buried her face in her shoulder. When she looked up a moment later, the weakness was gone from her expression. Seeing this, Ester said, "Good," then turned back to Levi.
"I'm returning there to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. You be ready to move at a moment's notice as well."
"Understood, Mother."
Hearing Levi's reply, Ester gave a single nod and began to trace patterns in the air with her fingertip. One, then two sigils appeared, and when the fifth was drawn, the incantation "Teleport" was heard, and Ester's form vanished.
Left alone in the study, Levi and Sarah bowed to the empty space where their master had disappeared.
This is chapter seventeen. You could probably call this the "reveal" chapter. I hope to show you a new development next time. Thank you for reading.