Chapter Three: Learning Dangerous Magic
Two weeks after the library door was blown off, I finally succeeded.
I read through a book and learned magic. (TN Note: This is future him speaking and below is a detail of how that came to be.)
I jump down from my cradle when the moon appears and the servants fall asleep.
「&h.e.l.lip;Phew」
I shouldn’t rush, but perhaps I’m over cautious?
In the depths of the library some books are stacked up.
In the end, my movement is critical.
However, I’m near the area for reading.
The kind of book that I need has already been searched for. (TN Note: This was difficult to translate.)
I climb over the broken door towards the stack of books.
I don’t want to be found by the head of the household, so I crawl towards the stack.
Umm, if I remember correctly it was around here――
「Comprehensive Magic Directory ～Master Volume～」
This seems to be it.
I reach for the magic book and take it, since that’s all there is available.
The beginner book that I actually wanted to start with is stored high up on a bookshelf.
So I use this as my textbook for magic in place of the starter guide.
I got onto reading it and picked up some magic that I could do.
The Princ.i.p.al Magic is:
・ Attack magic
・ Support magic
・ Recovery magic
Magic is finely divided by scale and characteristics.
「Attack Magic」 it’s strange due to only the few spells of its kind, but it’s relatively easy to learn.
Fire, Earth, and Water and the like are attributes that easily have an effect on one aspect.
And 「Recovery Magic」.
In order to learn this kind of magic a rare talent is needed and those magic masters who have that talent number only a handful.
There are many restrictions to it, such as the inability to revive the dead or instantly close up wounds.
「Support Magic」 grants special benefits.
Enchantment Magic, detection magic, search magic, and so forth fit in the category.
Mastery is difficult, so one should resolve to endure the uncommon training needed for this kind of magic.
「&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Hmm」
Next, the backlash of this.
From the conclusion it can be said that magic cannot be used recklessly.
There is large cost to health if magic is conjured.
By using magic to a large degree some amount of damage is suffered by the body.
It could be fatigue or reopening of the old wounds.
The damage sustained is different for every person.
It’s fine.
Out of a 100 theories I’ll practice 1.
For now, a suitable magic may be found by trial and error?
It’s imprudent to practice unskilled attack magic in the library.
It’s doubtful whether recovery magic can be mastered.
Perhaps I should try support magic?
『Megatelepathy&h.e.l.lip;magic moves to a person’s head and a connection is made. It’s the superior version of telepathy, since telepathy can only convey my thoughts to the other party. In this higher rank form of telepathy the other party can send a thought back. The lower rank version is no match for the communication range either. Magical Power Usage: Low. Learning Difficulty: High.』
Oh. If this is used, then I can’t talk with the person due to lisping. (TN Note: The second definition of lisping is inadequate linguistic ability.)
If privacy could be kept, then I could use this to tell someone my will.
It seems that in order to learn this, then the spell must be inscribed in the mind.
The important thing to become a master of magic is an 『Image』 and 『Pose』.
When I do this in a careless manner, then there’s I get a strong backlash regardless of whether I learn it or not.
Also, the memorization of an incantation is indispensable as it becomes the key for starting magic after it’s learned.
You’ll never know unless you try, so I’ll try learning it anyway.
(&h.e.l.lip;magical power deployment)
For Megatelepathy I use myself as an image and start chanting.
After deploying the magical power, then I can imagine who I’m connected to.
It’s only a test in the end, but is it good and proper?
I proceed to the next step.
Towards a target person I make a road of magic.
Through this the preparations are completed.
After the circuit is made, magic should put it into action.
(&h.e.l.lip;from my body appears an evil circuit–『Megatelepathy』ッ!) (TN Note: I don’t know why tsu is there&h.e.l.lip; Rue: Isn’t it basically an exclamation mark? Or, a glottal stop? )
I chant strongly in my mind and feel my entire body become hot.
At the same time my heart beats violently.
「Ughh?」
I shake a little.
Is this the backlash of activating magic?
Nonetheless, the degree of it is not insufferable.
A letter appears momentarily before my eyes and I feel relieved.
【Megatelepathy】
Oh, it seems that I succeeded in learning it.
The phenomenon of information being burned into one’s sight is an incidental sign of magic being learned.
However, I couldn’t communicate with the other party.
That’s probably due to me being the partner, so instead I got a sound like a sandstorm coming forth.
It’s fine.
With this the next spell can be activated by chanting.
Well, should I learn another one?
I shouldn’t practice flashy magic, but for the sake of self-defence it’s necessary to learn attack magic.
Because my body is an infant’s that only leaves the option of defence through magic.
I look for the weakest spell in the master volume .
『Astral Fire&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;a vast amount of magical power is condensed and a fireball the size of a fist is made. A highly-compressed fireball, which can be sent at a target to burn it until the magical power of the pract.i.tioner runs out. Magical Power Usage: High. Learning Difficulty: Low-Medium.』
Is this all right?
There is also water and wind attribute magic, but the learning levels are too high for them.
As one would expect, it’s hard to learn it on the first attempt.
However, the learning difficulty of this magic is low relative to the other kinds.
If it’s controlled well the fire won’t spread either.
Should I test it carefully?
I steel myself and began chanting the incantation for the spell.
(Overflow from my body to become demon blood. Seed of flame that cannot resist becoming h.e.l.lfire 『Astral Fire』ッ！)
The room was wrapped in a sheen of red.
At the same time a character floats into my sight.
【Astral Fire】
Alright, I succeeded in mastering this spell too.
It was easier than I thought.
A fireball with extreme heat capacity levitated in the center of the terrible light.
It shines brightly like a crimson jewel.
Okay, it shouldn’t be in such a place.
I gradually cancel the magic-
The scene vanishes.
My head grates in pain.
At the start is a vomiting feeling.
Then, gradually an unbearable migraine rages in my skull.
「&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Uu、Aghhhhh！」
It hurts.
It hurts, hurts, and it hurts.
What on Earth is this? Magic’s backlash?
Yet, when I used Megatelepathy earlier-
「&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Agh」
Astral Fire.
Magic Amount: Large.
The amount of backlash is proportional to that used for the spell.
It was written in an explanation in some part within the book.
I didn’t forget that in particular, but I didn’t expect to suffer like this.
I didn’t know that the backlash brought such acute pain.
It’s unpleasant.
Because my concentration was cut the fireball began to drift.
The fire is swelling and shows the signs of exploding.
As it is now the explosion would be huge.
「&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;About this、uwaa」
I need to stop it.
The one who created the flame was none other than myself-
I should be able to deal with it.
What about that pain?
I guess my sole redeeming feature is my pain tolerance.
Even though I grimace from withstanding all the pain, the fireball is stopped.
Either way, I use up all my strength to stop the flame.
The pain comes from using magic.
Magic needs to be stopped early.
However, magic is practised to control the addition of magical power completely.
It’s an early story: the vicious circle.
「&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Stupidity.」
I’ve died once before, so I should be cautious of things happening.
However I overlooked that for curiosity’s sake.
Alongside intense regret an acute pain tortures my consciousness.
As the situation is I faint.
Then, at that moment-
「Regis-sama！」(Ru: Super maid-san!)
Someone held my body.
Although, everyone should have fallen asleep.
The comfortable smell of vanilla ice cream came to me.
A sense of security spreads throughout my body.
I forced the pain down and looked at the person protecting me.
It was Walkins.
Why is she here? Regardless, the fact is that she is here.
Including a servant, everyone in the mansion should have been asleep.
When Walkins sees the floating fireball I clear my throat once below her.
Then, I hear a magic incantation the likes of which I had never heard before.
「Ancient waterfall take in all things.
Taint of death please be washed away by holy water.
Holy Grail、pour down your abundant waters――『Chaos・Cataract』」
A veil of water entirely obscures visibility and it suddenly begins to rain.
The fireball resists the water by turning it into steam.
Except, there’s too much water.
The fireball is extinguished in no time.
「Are you well, Regis-sama?」 (TN: Polite language.)
Walkins looks worried as she stares at me.
Although, she doesn’t seem angry.
My heart on the the other hand hurts, since there’s no excuse to say even if I wanted to.
Nevertheless, I noticed that I fell into a predicament. I’m not sure how that happened.
(Did she feign sleep, then get up&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;?)
「No？ I went to bed.
However I heard Regis-sama say 『It’s painful』――that made me jump out of bed in a hurry.」
「&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Fua！？」
Did you read my mind?
Megatelepathy was connected.
I had intended to choose the other party of the spell with consideration, but I seem to have subconsciously chose Walkins.
She closes the book I had been reading.
「Astral Flame is still too soon for Regis-sama.
If you use it, then do so after memorizing more of the lower ranking fire magic」
It is necessary to go in order.
Using higher ranking magic suddenly will surely not go well.
How should I put it, wait a minute.
I ask anxiously.
（&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Walkins？）
「What is it?」 (TN: Once again she’s speaking politely.)
（About my having sought out the magic book, my thoughts, and speaking this well――Will you not say anything？）
If I were in her position, then this talk wouldn’t be far from creepy.
An infant shouldn’t be able to speak this well.
Yet, Walkins nods with a smile.
「After thinking, Regis-sama doesn’t want to seem different from normal people.」
(Oh, did you see through me?)
「Yes, but the conclusive evidence was intuition.」
Was my acting so unskilled that it caused these circ.u.mstances?
I had intended to play the role of a natural infant.
However, now I was anxious about the matter of what was said.
（&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Intuition？）
「Women’s Intuition――rather, it’s a magic master’s intuition.」
I see.
The magic power I have was seen and I couldn’t be a normal person. By that it seems I was seen through.
She’s a frightening servant.
「I’m the super servant who can do anything, because I can see in this way。
If I see someone’s magic power, then I can generally size up what kind of person they are.」
（&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Amazing.）
「Thank you. Heehee, I’ve been praised.」
Walkins puts her hands against my face and my face starts to color red.
What a mysterious reaction!
As usual, I understand little of what this person thinks about.
While peeping at Walkins’ expression she 『enquires』 and her mouth is opened.
She puts a finger to her mouth, since it’s a little bit of a serious situation.
「Regis-sama should likely keep this appearance secret.」
After all my character seems to be strangely reflected and I also want to avoid something troublesome.
The tail must be restricted from being shown. (TL: It looks like an idiom, which I’m not familiar with.)
「I’ll keep quiet about this, so don’t worry.」
That’s what Walkins said as she put a hand on my chest.
It’s a welcome promise.
I really feel indebted to her.
「On the other hand, study magic from time onwards with me. At least obey this much.」
Oops.
As might be expected, should we move on unconditionally?
However, I have no inconvenience with it as I agree.
Rather, I have a better teacher now and it’s all working out.
「Do you understand？」
（I understand.）
I nodded, then her whole face was filled with a smile as she grasps my hand.
The appearance of Walkins lit up by moonlight was incomparably beautiful.
「Then, after this please take care of me Regis-sama。」
(For sure I’ll rely on you too Walkins.)
Thus, the curtains raised on magic lessons with Walkins.
By they way, the library was flooded.
It was cleaned the next morning by Walkins and Shadverga with complex faces.
I feel very guilty after having others clean up my mess.
This favor will eventually be returned without fail.
Incidentally during the middle of cleaning there was an accidental happening.
Shadverga was hiding some lovely books in the library.
Walkins found them.
Selfina heard about it, so Shadverga was called out for lovely chastis.e.m.e.nt with some physical part among other things. (TN Note: It was likely a j.a.panese cultural point that I couldn’t pick up on, but it was depicting an example of punishment.)
The scream at that time was more terrible than the moments of death.
I wondered about what happened to him later and heard of it from Walkins.
However, he was found on his way back.
His face was paler than expected.
&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;Okay。
Honestly, n.o.body had to ask to find out.
I keep the lesson in mind wholeheartedly while letting out cold sweat.
Gentlemen, don’t court danger&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;！ (Ru: Unless you’re a M. Then, go ahead.)