"...This is strange. There are fewer people than usual today."
"Yeah, it does seem quieter than normal."
We were walking around an area where magicians from the Magicians' Guild apparently came to earn some extra money, but there were only a handful of stalls—not even enough to count on both hands. We'd expected it to be more like a festival atmosphere, so we were disappointed. It seemed like it was usually much livelier. In fact, the stall owners looked restless, as if they were on guard against something.
While following my master, I got to examine some magical tools and even bought a few. There was powder infused with magic potions that had a jamming effect against detection spells, and simple summoning symbols that could call forth specific inanimate objects or even communicate with them. They were all disposable tools, but somehow I felt like I'd become a real wizard.
Well, in the original story, becoming a magician isn't something you can do overnight. If I recall correctly, magicians in this world are researchers who dedicate their entire lives to refining their magical studies. In other words, it requires exceptional intelligence—not something just anyone can do. There are familiar types like black magic and white magic from games, as well as summoning magic, spirit magic, necromancy, and the rune-based magic associated with that barcode-tattooed priest. Additionally, there are various regional and clan-specific magic systems, like Nordic magic. From there, you choose one theme that suits you and dedicate your life to it—that's apparently how wizards approach their craft.
"I wasn't planning on going, but there's no choice. It's a bit expensive, but that shop should be open. Should I ask what happened while I'm there?"
"Oh, should we head over then?"
"Well, that store is enchanted so you can't enter without the owner's permission. I was thinking of skipping it today since you're here with me, but... maybe we should just call it quits for today."
"No way! I came all the way here to restock the tools my master uses. I'll wait here until you come back, so please go to the store."
It's a bit nerve-wracking, but I can handle it. Plus, I might get some new magical tools, and I could find out what's been happening among the magicians. Hearing my confident words, I noticed a look of genuine worry cross my master's face—and he usually never shows his emotions. Even Milky, who's normally so stoic, is concerned because of me? Please, partner, comfort me a little.
"Well, I guess I'll just stay here and keep a low profile until my master returns."
We talked a little more after that, but in the end, my master went shopping alone. I can't even stay home by myself—how am I going to make it in the future? Of course, I knew this place was different from usual. I'm not that overconfident, so I planned to activate the sacred treasure's effect as soon as my master was out of sight.
I checked my surroundings carefully, slipped into a small alley, and made sure to hide my presence as usual.
"Hmm, I guess I could just wait here..."
I was in a place where there were still people around, and if anything happened, someone from the wizards' association would come. I've always been with my master, so I've been fine, but this is my first time traveling abroad. Most of the people walking around me are white, and of course they don't speak Japanese. I know some English, but honestly, I can only speak broken, awkward English. Translation-type magical tools are quite expensive, so I wasn't allowed to bring one on this trip.
So if I get lost, I'm done for. My master might come looking for me, but I can't put him through that trouble. With no other choice, I sat down at the meeting spot and decided to wait quietly. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.
However, since I have nothing better to do, I decide to try developing the abilities of the sacred weapon. I take out a red spear sized for easy handling with both hands. Just in case, I do this quietly in a corner.
Now, what I tried and succeeded in doing when I faced that stray demon was erasing only a part of the whole. I thought that depending on how I use it, I might be able to do various things. At that time, I interfered with part of the barrier the stray demon had set up and was able to target only the radio wave interference effect. I was skeptical that it would really work, but since it did, I think this sacred treasure can do even more. At times like this, I wish I could get opinions from others. I don't think I'm that flexible in my thinking.
"Hmm, partner, is there anywhere we can try erasing just a part of something? Preferably somewhere that won't cause trouble for the locals later."
As someone who had caused plenty of trouble for local residents before, I think it's important to exercise restraint. I looked around, but all I could see was this old stone-built town. Unlike in Japan, the ground wasn't properly paved with concrete, so it looked somewhat dirty. Then I had an idea. This wouldn't cause any trouble for the local residents—they might even be grateful.
I explained what I was going to do to my partner to get permission. I felt a moment of hesitation from him, but in the end, he agreed with what sounded like a resigned sigh. From my experience with the fish bone disappearance experiment, where my intentions were ignored for a while, I've learned to consult my partner when I'm unsure. But no matter what, he always gives me the okay in the end, so I think he's a good guy. Though calling a spear a "good guy" might be a bit odd.
"Alright, let's go, partner! Eliminate only the dirt on this stone wall!"
Wow! The dirty wall is becoming beautiful before my eyes! Who drew those weird graffiti-like marks here? This side has gum stuck to it, and that side is discolored! ...All right, I'll deal with all of it!
"To be honest, I think I went a bit overboard. But it was fun."
So I don't regret it. In a corner of this old street, the wall was now shining brightly, almost as if it were glowing. There were some small holes that weren't very noticeable, but they added a nice accent. It was clearly a supernatural phenomenon. But as a Japanese person, I couldn't just ignore such minor stains.
Ah, yeah. I was being an idiot. So please stop looking at me with that cold, disappointed expression.
Still, this experiment was pretty successful. Especially when removing discoloration—trying to erase the pigment or target the components causing the discoloration was good training. If I can do this back in Japan, maybe I should volunteer for cleanup activities on my days off. I'll make sure to clean even the most stubborn stains.
"Also, the level of fatigue varies depending on what you're removing, so adjusting the force when dealing with various types of stains like this was a valuable lesson. For someone like me with limited physical strength, unnecessary fatigue is deadly. Learning how to pace my strength is the top priority when using this sacred artifact."
The power of this tool, which is my lifeline, is directly connected to my physical strength and stamina. Therefore, I have to pay attention to even the smallest details, like stamina management, alongside physical training. Since I'm a human with no racial advantages and low physical strength, there's no way around it. When I think about it, the heroic humans who could fight against non-human beings must have trained relentlessly and endured countless sacrifices.
The easiest way to increase my innate strength is clear: reincarnate as a demon and gain physical advantages. If the original story had progressed further, becoming a reincarnated angel might also be an option. After all, the protagonist, Hidetoshi Hino, was able to become a demon and obtain the physical strength needed to wield a God-Slaying Weapon.
...That said, I have no intention of using that method. I don't despise demons or angels, and I don't share the ideology of Cao Cao and his followers who believe "humans are the best!" Still, the idea of ceasing to be human is terrifying.
Reincarnated demons especially have their actions greatly influenced by their masters' intentions. Unlike Rias Gremory's group, where the treatment of subordinates is unusually considerate, most higher-ranking demons don't listen to the opinions of reincarnated demons. They might be forced to fight in rating games against their will or be used for their master's purposes. Those games are status symbols for demons, and all the characters in the original work were striving to become stronger for them.
In other words, there's no way a master would prioritize my opinion—someone who went out of their way to reincarnate a valuable piece just to protect the human world—and simply leave me alone. A high-ranking demon who doesn't care about rating games, which are so important to the demon world, or about promotion, or what others think... Such an eccentric demon is probably very rare.
"Oh no, I've wandered too far from the meeting spot."
But it's just a straight shot back, so I'll be there in no time. I shrink my partner to his usual size and put him in my pocket, then stretch my arms to relax my body after the work.
All right, I refocus, and as I do, I notice a girl around my age standing alone at the end of the corridor. The petite girl was holding a stick that looked like a small branch, wearing a pointed hat and a cape. She looked like a classic witch—or rather, she was exactly that.
She had beautiful golden hair that shone with a foreigner's luster, and blue eyes. But what left me speechless was her stunningly beautiful face, so perfect I couldn't help but stare. Her beauty was evident even from a distance, and despite appearing to be around elementary school age, her features were already well-defined. She was such a striking girl that I was stunned for several seconds.
And then, what was it? Looking at her, I felt something indescribable. That feeling of unease seemed to be coming from her, transmitted through the red spear. It was as if something about her was being conveyed to me. It was my first experience with something like this, and I was confused. With her beauty, she seemed like a mysterious girl.
And then, that blonde girl...
She was being tugged by a small puppy wearing a pointed hat, trying to get her hat back with teary eyes. I couldn't understand the foreign language, but I think she was probably telling the dog to let go. However, the puppy seemed to be doing it because it wanted the girl's attention, wagging its tail happily and refusing to stop pulling. Ah, she finally lost her balance and fell.
Hey, puppy, she fell down, so cut it out. The witch girl's dress is getting dirty on the ground, and her underwear is showing! What a sight! No, that's not what I meant! Still, she won't let go of that pointed hat. It might be important to her, but what persistence.
"...Well, I suppose so."
I couldn't just ignore that scene.
"Um, thank you for your help. I really appreciate it."
"No problem. I couldn't just walk past that scene—I'm not that heartless. By the way, your Japanese is really good."
"Ah, this is translation magic. You're probably from the East, right? This is one of the spells that analyzes demonic translation functions. Magic varies greatly depending on country and region, so it's useful for analyzing words and characters."
Magic is amazing. I think I'll seriously try to learn it. I believe the magical girl named Le Fay Pendragon mentioned in the original story said that even the protagonist could use simple magic without needing complex incantations. By the way, I know this blonde girl isn't Le Fay. She's such a beautiful girl that I tried to recall if she appears in the original story, but there's no match.
The names of magic-related characters I remember are Ravel from the Gremory clan, the Norse Valkyrie named Rossweisse and her relatives, Le Fay from the White Dragon Emperor's team, Georg who was a user of the god-slaying weapon "Dimension Lost" from the Hero faction, and Walburga, a high-ranking member of a magic-user terrorist organization who possesses the god-slaying weapon "Incinerate Anthem."
"Still, it's dangerous to be alone in such a back alley. It's been especially dangerous lately."
"You're in the same boat. You're about my age, aren't you?"
"I'm a magical girl, so there's no need to worry."
The magical girl puffed out her chest proudly. She was incredibly cute. Plus, with the whole magical connection, my luck today was definitely themed around "magical girls." I couldn't help but look off into the distance.
If she can use magic, maybe there really is no need to worry. She's probably affiliated with the magicians' guild. Still, she gets teary-eyed over a puppy, and she's such a beautiful girl. What about kidnappers, perverts, and other dangers—is she really okay? It's not wrong to think that, right?
"Actually, I think you're the one in danger. I'm here for work, but you look like a traveler with connections to the supernatural world."
"Well, I'm here to buy magical tools, so I guess that's not entirely wrong."
"It seems you arrived at a bad time. There's an incident involving the guild, and most of the magicians are holed up in their laboratories until it's resolved."
"An incident involving the guild?"
The magical girl nodded in response to my question. Apparently, everyone in this area knows about it. It seems the information hasn't reached as far as Japan yet. What bad timing. She seemed to have been sent from the association to investigate the incident. She was about the same age as me, but she'd been entrusted with this task, so she must be very talented.
"Yes, that's right. Recently, there have been many incidents of magicians from the association being attacked by someone. So I'm here to keep watch and do my job."
"That's dangerous. And is it okay for you to tell me this? I could be the attacker."
"The attackers are rogue mages. I don't sense much magical power from you, and—I hesitate to say this—but I don't sense any exceptional abilities either. That's why I'm telling you this in detail, as a traveler who knows nothing about the incident, with just a bit of caution. I also owe you a favor for getting my hat back from that puppy."
Thanks to this girl's explanation, I finally understood why this area was so deserted. I see—rogue wizards. I'm sure they're wizards who were expelled from one of the wizard associations for being unsuitable. It's not very peaceful that they're causing these attacks.
The people who were still open for business despite the attacks must be either very confident or desperate for research funds. That's why they seemed so nervous. I thought they could have told us about this, but in a way, being attacked by outcast wizards might be embarrassing for the guild. It's probably something they don't want outsiders to know, so there's not much that can be done about it.
"So once your master returns, I recommend you go back home immediately. It's a shame this time, but we'd be happy if you came back after the incident is resolved."
"...Yeah, it does seem dangerous, so I'll follow your advice. Thanks for worrying about me. You too—even if you're a magical girl—be careful not to get hurt."
"Hehe, okay. I'll be careful. It was a relief that you listened to my story so honestly. You're such a good kid."
"Hey, we're the same age, aren't we?! Why are you trying to pat my head?"
It was embarrassing, but I couldn't bring myself to brush away her hand as she smiled so broadly. Still, it was embarrassing. We weren't that different in height anyway. ...When I get to middle school, I'll definitely grow taller. At least taller than this girl. As a man, that is.
Then, to return to the main street, the two of us walked through the alley together. She said she'd accompany me that far. This magical girl is so dependable. She's cute, she's a magical girl, and while she seems a little naive, she's probably a good person. I hope she doesn't get hurt.
And, how should I put this? I want to talk to her a little more. She's a magical girl I admire, and above all, she's so cute that I'd like to see her again. I wonder if it's okay to ask her name.
"Um, well, if you don't mind, could you tell me your name? If I ever come back to this country, I'd be happy to see you again, even by chance."
"My name?"
"Yeah. I'm... Ah, sorry. I forgot to mention—I don't use my real name. It's rude of me to ask yours."
"It's okay. Even among magicians, there are some who don't use their real names. My name is Lavinia. Nice to meet you."
"Thank you. My name is Shou."
"Shou-kun, right?"
"With '-kun' attached? I'm in sixth grade, so being called '-kun' by someone my age is a little... Also, I think the pronunciation is a bit different. No, I'm not in a position to complain to her." Seeing her dazzling smile, I decided to smile back.
As we chatted like that, our feet came to a stop. The reason was simple. At the end of the alley we were heading toward stood a person wearing a wizard-like hood, their face hidden. They had appeared as if out of nowhere. I stopped in surprise and widened my eyes. At this sudden development, I turned to Lavinia beside me. What I saw was her staring straight ahead at the figure.
"...I'm sorry, Shou-kun. I think I've dragged you into this."
Next, a voice filled with genuine remorse reached my ears. She must not have expected them to appear here either. And "dragged you into this"—that means it's them, right?
"It's Lavinia from 'Absolute Demise.'"
Wow, Lavinia-san has such a cool epithet.
Does she use ice magic? Such thoughts flashed through my mind, but I could feel cold sweat trickling down my back. I'm not that oblivious. In this situation, I didn't need to think twice to realize that the person in front of us was an enemy. The hooded figure was likely a rogue mage.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and gripped my partner tightly. They said they were attacking mages. If that's the case, maybe they'll overlook me. Of course, I think it would be despicable to leave a girl behind, but I feel like I'd only be a hindrance in battle.
With confusion and caution mixed together, I exhaled quietly, trying to think calmly. In any case, I decided to keep watching to see what they would do, keeping in mind that I had to be ready to move quickly.
Also, I hope it's just a false alarm, but there was something familiar about the words the wizard had spoken earlier. I don't know her personally. I've never heard the name "Lavinia" in the original story. But I swear I've heard the name "Ice Princess" somewhere before. Furrowing my brow, I waited quietly for what would come next.
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being