6. Pa.s.sage of the spirit, the way of magical power
Outline of the previous chapter:
I’ve made 23 chapters and confirmed the existence of humans in this other world.
The next day I decided to leave the Arachne’s nest early in the morning.
“My Lord. I hath done as thee requested.”
Right before leaving, Gerbera handed me upside down clothing
They are clothes I asked Gerbera to make before.
Though Gerbera weaves at an impressive speed, producing this in such a small amount of time seems to have been unreasonable as half of the clothes appears to be from previous stock.
The shirt is of simple design with slightly thick long sleeves made durable for walking through the forest. The pants are also white becoming white top and bottom.
The coordination feels out of place and unusual, but complaining about that is a luxury.
“It suits thou my lord.”
“…Is that so?”
When I return from changing my clothes, Gerbera fidgets and her cheeks turn red for some reason.
Was she glad I was wearing the clothes she made or was it because she noticed we are wearing similar clothes?
Or because this is a spider’s thread, in a certain sense it can be said that my appearance『Is wrapped in a thread she produced』perhaps she could feel something.
In addition, when I put on the blackish hue protective gear that Rose prepared for me on top… you might say the colour balance has been attained.
Finally I added a sword of pseudo-Damascus steel on the belt I made with a vine and my preparations are complete.
It’s perfect at present, the work have been divided with equipment made by Rose and clothes woven by Gerbera, I want them to cooperate with each other’s work in the future.
Right now they’ll cooperate for my sake, but if the present state of them being unwilling to work continues into the future it’ll be problematic.
It won’t be resolved immediately and it isn’t necessary to rush it. After all their ill feelings are lost it’s should be possible.
“My lord!”
I suddenly notice for some reason Gerbera is writhing, her expression seemed anxious as she looked at my face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nay, I hath thought my lord looketh a tad pale.”
“I do?”
I touched my cheeks unintentionally.
The feeling at the tips of my fingers seems somewhat cold.
“No, there’s nothing wrong in particular. Don’t worry about it.”
Certainly I had a lot to think about recently and I was not able to sleep very much yesterday.。
However, my physical condition isn’t bad and I don’t feel sleepy either. Some fatigue remains from walking day after day, but it’s still at a level where I can stay active. I can’t rest from this amount.
“Let’s go”
I suggested to Gerbera who lowered her eyebrows anxiously as I left the nest.
She also seemed to understand that I’m truly fine when I start moving and said nothing further.
After an hour or so we came to the spring which was our destination.
As it’s the water source for the surrounding creatures, the spring is considerably large.
We continued walking further for approximately one hour and encountered two monsters.
A Rough Rabbit with the body of a bear and the head of a rabbit and the other one was a crawfish like monster about one metre in length that had broken the surface of the water of the spring and jumped out.
It’s something I’d like to encounter once more.
Because both are monsters I’m encountering for the first time, I want to feed them to Lily to increase our war potential.
…It’s enough to eat once? Though that is a reasonable opinion, I’m not talking about that.
To make use of Lily’s mimesis ability you must serve her the majority of the monster’s corpse. In other words it means that we cannot eat the Rough Rabbit and Big Scissors.
Of course, our food situation is not so desperate that I am driven to eat the meat of these.
There is enough Fire Fang meat saved up.
Simply, there’s no reason to challenge myself to eat, but I wanted to eat them.
…Quite frankly I was tired of Fire Fang meat.
I wasn’t a person who particularly loyal to a specific meal, but I got tired of eating the same food all the time.
I want to eat the meat of a different animal soon.
Other than a lizard or a rat.
In particular the Big Scissors looks delicious.
As it is a crawfish it might be a little rough and tasteless, but I held the firm belief that would not be much of a problem problem. Anyway, the current food circ.u.mstances are just too bad.
However I can no longer increase our baggage.
Furthermore whilst I continue searching I look forward to taking home the next Big Scissors as food.
Whilst I though about such things, Gerbera finished 『Packing』and came over here.
Because the Fire Fang is huge, the coc.o.o.n that wrapped it up was very large.
The sight of it being dragged is a little humorous.
“Good work.”
“My lord as well, thy work was good.”
Gerbera says words of appreciation and presents the flask Rose made to me.
Even though there is a spring nearby, if just drinking it causes a stomach ache it would be embarra.s.sing. I used what I brought with me as drinking water.
Because water is heavy, except for a small amount to quench my thirst while walking, everything was entrusted to Gerbera whilst moving.
“Thank you.”
I expressed my grat.i.tude and tried to take the flask.
At that time.
“…tsu”
The reflected scenery stings my eyes, innumerable small glittering lights scattered in my sight.
It was just an instant.
However, the timing was bad.
My hand missed receiving the flask Gerbera presented me.
“Ah.”
The Flask slipped through my fingers and fell to the ground.
There is a glug glug sound as the water was spilled.
I quickly picked up the bottle, but the contents have decreased by roughly one-third.
…Now I’ve done it.
Of course, it’s not that I regretted losing the water.
“Is thou troubled, my lord?”
Gerbera looked suspicious and stared at me.
“My lord, It hath been on thine mind, but how thou looketh is strange to thee.”
“…What is strange?”
“Tis only sometimes, I see thou make unusual mistakes. Could it be thou art holding secrets from thee?”
She says so and stares at me with her red pupils.
Staring and staring, the intensity of her gaze has not softened.
She seems to be very certain.
I thought that I would be able to deceive her somehow, apparently it seems impossible.
It’s hopeless huh?
Generally I was spending most of my time with her these days. She’s been supporting me, even if it wasn’t this time, she would have noticed eventually.
“It’s not serious.”
After some necessary introductory remarks, I decided to disclose the circ.u.mstances with Gerbera.
“For some reason my eyes are strange sometimes.”
“Thy eyes?”
“Yeah. They blur and when it’s bad I can see glittering white lights…”
“Art that not important!?”
Gerbera jumps with all eight legs and grips my face with both hands.
It wasn’t a speed I could avoid.
I was made to look at her handsome features, which made me think they must have been made by a G.o.d, as she closely looked at my face.
“Muu”
In a distance where her breath can reach, she stared at my face fixedly.
I had been shocked unintentionally, but Gerbera didn’t have the slightest amorous atmosphere about her.
She stares at my face with an expression which is so serious it’s scary.
Of course, if you could understand the condition of others by doing so, doctors wouldn’t be needed.
There might also be doctors in this world. …Or maybe there aren’t. In this world magic exists.
“Just sometimes. It’s not a big deal. I feel fine.”
When I rapidly make excuses, a small wrinkle forms between Gerbera’s eyebrows.
“True is that?”
“Yeah. When tired, a human being’s vision blurs. It’s a common thing.”
“My lord spoke the same the day before, hath thou deceived thee?”
“…Anyway, let go of me.”
While thinking of the phrase ‘you reap what you sow’, I cover the lower half of her face with my hand and strongly push her away.
Though it may have been a bit rough on a woman, however the unusually tough Gerbera didn’t seem to care. She crossed her arms and tilted her head in thought.
“However, white lights. …Yes?”
Her beautiful pure white eyebrows frowned slightly.
“What’s wrong Gerbera?”
“Tis’ nothing. A little curious was I.”
When I asked, Gerbera put her slim right hand before my eyes.
“Thous be sure, look to the hand of thee.”
“Uh huh?”
“…I’m not too good at this sort of thing but”
Gerbera says so and screw up her eyes for a few seconds.
“Eh?”
As I was watching Gerbera’s fingertip I instinctively let out a stupid sound.
A white light on Gerbera’s fingertip was flickering.
It was the light I had been seeing sometimes these past few days.
“H,How…”
“Tis as I suspected.”
Gerbera seemed a little tired as she withdrew her hand.
The light has already disappeared from her fingertip.
“I thought it was impossible but”
Gerbera let out a small and said,
“My lord is obtaining the ability to perceive magical power.”
“Magic power? I am?”
“Indeed.”
Gerbera makes a large nod with a serious face. I do not get the feeling she’s joking.
However, while it isn’t impossible, I’m not going to just accept her words without a doubt.
“Though you say that Gerbera. I shouldn’t have an apt.i.tude for magic. Because in the colony the person with the magician cheat ability clearly said so.”
“Even if you tell me that, it’s still troubling.”
Though I give a reasonable opinion, Gerbera did not stop thinking about it.
“…However, if that is true, it’s certainly a strange story.”
Gerbera folds her spider legs and sat down, leaning her head to the side.
“Anyone can use magic so long as they hast magical power. As long they hast magical power it isn’t hard to see magical power. After all it’s an indispensable art to sense magical power when handling magic. …However the quality doesn’t change easily.”
“It’s like that?”
“Tis indeed so, attaining of thy magical power is of the many within thy self. Tis mine belief that my lord’s quant.i.ty of thy magical power hath doth raised for a reason.”
For some reason.
She had an unpleasant expression.
It shouldn’t be a disadvantage in particular, rather it should be convenient for me, it’s only a little unpleasant that I don’t understand the cause.
“Is it because of the defeated monsters? If I’m not mistaken, I can take their magical power when I kill a monster. When I was at the colony they tried to strengthen the search corps with that.”
“That is not an efficient method. Even if thou defeated one hundred or one thousand could thou actually feel it? Of course, with the way I am and the way mine lord is, thither art some differences.”
“Is it because the original amount of magical power is different?”
“It’s as thou say. However thou might say, though to begin with just my lord and I being together, it is not all there is to it.”
“That’s also true.”
“In other words there are more efficient methods, it is possible my lord unknowingly undertook such measures.”
“That’s a little difficult to think about. If a method exists, I want to know it by all means.”
I am personally strengthened if my magical power increases.
How much work is required to survive in this severe world?
“Though, it’s not a bad thing if I can use magic.”
“…”
I conclude thus–possibly, Gerbera gives me a strange look as I set the problem aside.
“What art thou saying mine lord?”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t mine lord already using magic?”
You seem to be amazed, but unfortunately I don’t have a clue.
Therefore I asked,
“What is it?”
“A path is connected between us mistresses. That is also an excellent kind of magic.”
“Is that so?”
“How doesn’t mine lord know?”
“Even if you ask me…”
To her even more amazed expression, I scratch my head.
Even if they aren’t a cheat ability user they can use magic so long as they learn it. This is a theory which was established in the colony. However, in reality there were only a few exceptions where ordinary students of the 『Reserve Group』who had the opportunity to learn magic.
For students of marriageable age and full of curiosity, the mysterious phenomenon called magic was of great interest. Therefore I also came across some information.
However, there were still many unknowns.
Although, now that she mentions it, she’s right, this mysterious power connecting between us seems impossible besides using magic.
Though there is the sense that all mysterious phenomena could easily be labelled as magic, often when thinking that way in this world it won’t be wrong.
Then was I using magic subconsciously?
In other words, my cheat ability is an always active type of magic.
A magic that connects my heart with monsters.
It feels kind of fancy when I think about it.
“…”
Now that I think about it, why would I be given a cheat ability like this?
I suddenly thought.
The people who were transferred to this world received cheat abilities.
This is fine thus far. Though the cause is unclear it’s inevitable there are some peculiarities to this world.
Then is it inevitable that I gained this ability?
If that’s the case, once again, why this power?
…Though I might appear to be complaining in dissatisfaction, I did not want to complain in particular.
Maybe I wouldn’t have had to face such difficulties back in the colony if I had an easily understood ability. Maybe a pa.s.sive (always on) ability is much too hard to use compared to these my cheat ability seems very subtle, though.
Honestly, I wouldn’t want to stand besides someone who grumbles like that if he were in my position.
Because I possessed this ability I could meet Lily here.
It’s impossible to have any complaints.
So I just wondered.
Why am I like this…?
“Unh? Wait, if it’s the path”
Then suddenly Gerbera exclaimed
I’m startled and brought back from my thoughts.
When I look, Gerbera appears to have noticed something and stopped moving.
Is something wrong?
…. and about the same time when I was thinking, with a slightly different leap from several minutes ago, Gabera grab my face with both of her hands.
Not again/Again?
Or so I thought, but the situation was slightly different.
“…”
She looks into my eyes the same way as a little while ago.
However her red eyes appeared to be focusing somewhere else this time.
“…So it’s like that?”
“Hey, Gerbera.”
I couldn’t endure it and I called her name angrily.
Feigning displeasure, even though I must not do it, but my voice seems to be shaking a little.
“Please explain without just understanding on your own. Also, I would appreciate it if you let me go.”
I am irresponsible, but Gerbera should be more aware of the fact that she’s attractive as a member of the opposite s.e.x to men.
Even at best of times, she held me with good will, which makes me reel with excitement.
To begin with she’s a member of my family. She a special existence to me, furthermore, yesterday, when I had a moment of weakness I had her spoil me.
Due to the unclear stance that I have regarding the relationship with my female household, I must not be irresponsible. Because I’ve made up my mind I want to defend this decision.
“Indeed. My apologies.”
Gerbera obediently released me as asked.
However she doesn’t stop staring deep into my eyes.
“Please listen without being surprised my lord.”
Gerbera began to speak to me whilst I felt uncomfortable.
“Inside of thy body”
“Uh huh.”
“Mine magic is present.”
“…huh?”
I’m dumbfounded by Gerbera’s completely unexpected words.
“… That is, that …What do you mean?”
“I can not really say. Usually something like this is impossible.”
Gerbera shook her long white hair with a baffled expression.
“However I can guess. Perhaps it’s because of the connection between us. It’s because it connects us with my lord.”
“Wa, please wait a moment. So, what!? Is the increased magical power I’ve received from Gerba?
“Possibly Lily-dono and Rose-dono’s may also be mixed in. It would be such a very small amount that I am not able to detect it.”
“Such a thing…”
I was about to object reflexively when I noticed there was no evidence to deny her claim.
“Certainly…Certainly, then I can explain the phenomenon of『Flickering before my eyes』in question occurred since I made Gerbera a family member.
As far as I can remember, that『Flickering Light』…That is the detection of magical power, began whilst I was conversing with Lily on the 2nd morning after making Gerbera a family member.
At least, before Gerbera became a family member it never happened.
“But why is it only Gerbera?”
“Isn’t it simply a matter of the quant.i.ty of magical power one possesses? For example, why do you think that magical power doesn’t『leak out』from the connection? How about you think of it like magic power leaking out through the pathway? If the proportions stay the same then having a large amount of power means that more will spill out, right?”
“I see…”
I wasn’t able to notice if a similar phenomenon had occurred until I made Gerbera a family member.
That reminds me, I heard that『magic dwells in the soul』in the colony.
I’m just an ordinary student who can’t tell what kind of thing a soul is and can’t distinguish a『Soul』from things like the『Heart』or『Mind』.
However, if you a.s.sume they are similar…Even if it isn’t true, if you a.s.sume they are closely connected…Even if my path let’s magic power through, it might not be strange.
Of course this isn’t certain.
Nonetheless, that’s not what was important to me.
“In short, what?”
After I moistened my lips with my tongue, I squeezed out my voice and asked,
“The more my family increase, the stronger my magic power becomes?”
“I expect it will be like that. Possibly my lord’s current condition is splendid, in which case it may be possible that the amount of magic power will increase on it’s own.”
“If that’s true…It’s not bad.”
My cheat ability isn’t that strong.
Even if it has war potential, the fatal thing above all else is that I do not have the power to fight myself.
No matter how strong an army I collect, essentially I am a weak point that will likely be taken advantage of.
This discovery held the possibility that the weak point of my cheat ability can be buried.
After a really long time, I remembered the feeling of being excited.
“Would you like to immediately return to ask Lily to teach you magic?”
Originally this was not an option as I didn’t have the talent for magic. I’d rather swing a sword and train my body.
However, the situation has changed now.
If my attainments rose somewhat, I might have to move in the direction that made best use of it.
“If I do that I would regret spending so long in this place without noticing”
Though it was true to my feelings, it might have been a mistake to put it into words.
“If I noticed a little sooner mine lord may have started a little earlier. …Ah, no. Well.”
After she says so, Gerbera lowered her eyebrows as she noticed something.
“This is my fault.”
“…”
It’s because it would be inconvenient if I was stopped from going out that I didn’t talk to anyone about the unusual things which had been occurring.
I cannot deny that Gerbera is part of the reason for this.
But, that is that and she has no need to be concerned with this matter.
“It isn’t your fault in particular.”
I patted the Gerbera’s pure white head who had drooped her shoulders feeling despondent.
“My lord…”
“The things I did only upset you. To say it properly, it is something like my selfishness.”
In fact it comes down to me lying to my comrades as well as various other intertwining factors.
This too may not be a good thing.
However, the recent situation has changed huh.
No. I will change.
I must change.
My own personal problems and my female family members’ problems too.
I will settle everything.
I have to do that.
I should do that.
For I, who will be leading the girls, that is my responsibility…
“Umu?”
And at that time.
Gabera who sent me an earnest look, frowned her eyebrows.
“–My lord!”
As one would expect from the super first cla.s.s battle shop, the change is instant. (TN: Yes, he really called her a battle shop that’s not a typo.)
The atmosphere becomes tingly and tense.
When I follow Gabera’s glance , I half rose to my feet. In order to successfully pull off such reflexive movements, it may be that I’ve gotten used to it.
My eye caught the shadow of an animal beyond the trees of the forest.
I see it suddenly and thought it might be a Fire Fang for an instant, but the shadow is too small.
There is a medium sized dog though.
“…Fox?”
Triangular ears. Balloon tail.
That is a monster which is similar to the fox in my world.
Though it was large for a fox, because I was used to seeing Fire Fang’s giant forms, the fox appeared fairly small.
Naturally, there is no such thing as the the small physical stature directly being proportional to the level of danger.
I remembered the knowledge I got at the colony.
“This guy…『Balloon Fox』!?”
At the same time when I call out the name which was given by the colony.
It sucked in air with a ‘suuuuuu’ and the body of the fox swelled greatly.
Like a balloon, a little while back it was a small body but it expanded right before my eyes.
The fox which became a spherical shape five times larger than it was originally, looked at us with murderous intent.
In order to intimidate the enemies, it swelled up like a pufferfish.
No, It’s different. This is how the Balloon Fox attacks.
“ GYAoOOO!”
The swollen body shrinks.
Together with the roar 3 orange fireb.a.l.l.s were spat out.
“My lord!”
Gerbera carries me and jumps back.
As a result the avoided fireb.a.l.l.s crashed into the tree behind us.
Just then the explosive flame which was curled up,
Collided into the trees, broke and burst into flames.
Gerbera immediately discarded the『luggage』for evasion–the coc.o.o.n wrapped monster receives the aftershock of the explosion and gets blown away and vanishes somewhere.
In particular,the rough rabbit seems to be used as a weight to counter balance. Only after that has subsided, from the fact that it was blasted away, I can see that the explosive power added into the fireball is not normal.
“…We’ve encountered a terrible fox fire.”
Although I had heard her words, it is rather absurd.
The flame that the Balloon Fox spits out is accompanied with a physical shock.
That was a consequence of compressing the air and heating it up. Although the temperature is lower compared the flame spat by Fire Fangs, the power can’t be compared.
“Fear not. This is not an opponent for me.”
Gerbera spoke words of encouragement after sensing the fear born by my mind.
What she says is reasonable.
Spending two or three seconds preparing preparing to attack is not necessary for Gerbera.
Just now, I did not prepare my stance, just in case we chose to run but if it’s now, it is possible that we may take action before the fox spits out the fireball.
Actually, she would crush it instantly if the Balloon Fox chose to attack.
“Mu?”
However, that did not happen.
As soon as the Balloon Fox saw that it’s first attack was evaded, it curled up its tail and ran away
That.. was a splendid decision.
….But this is not a situation to praise it.
“It has run away!”
“ I understand! Let’s go, my lord!”
If my memories serves me right, Balloon Fox are the same as Fire Fang, they are the type of monsters who tend to form packs together.
The chances of it running away to where others were is quite high.
We began pursuing the Balloon Fox which had escaped as we made arrangements as we had done with yesterday’s Fire Fang.