E? Heibon Desu yo?? - Chapter 15

Lady Mystia of the Water 2

After Sirius sent the noble girl back to her room, there was something that needed confirming, he said and headed to a room.

「Welcome, Sirius. I thought you would come. You could sense magic so well, after all. Liliana is a student worth tutoring, right?」

While the sunlight shines down incessantly, the one who stands as if shining, a beauty that anyone would praise, Viscountess Oliviria.

I, who am allowed to pass through the borders of all countries, have higher standards for beauty than humans.

Her beauty is of course inferior to the supreme beings, but in the human realm is worthy of being beautiful enough to cause wars.

「I thought that Madame would be most familiar with Liliana-sama’s magic power.」

「It will be a long story. Have a seat.」

She sits with composure on one of the three seats in the room.

Sirius says “Excuse me.” and also grabs a seat as she said.

(Then, I guess I shall also impose on her.)

I took the last seat.

(Now, can you please start?)

Sirius said, waah, under his breath.

What a rude man.

「Why has Madame taken off Liliana-sama’s magic seal?」

「Ufufu, it looks like quite a bit has been exposed.」

She said as if she was a child that had just had their prank found out.

「Because of that I made a mistake. There’s always signs of magic around Liliana-sama. In other words, Liliana-sama doesn’t only use magic temporarily, she is in a state where she is constantly utilising magic. Yet Liliana-sama didn’t realise about not just the magic seal, but she didn’t even notice the existence of magic. So in the last year since she had her magic seal removed, she seems to have been constantly using magic, I think.」

「That’s right. That much is not wrong」

(It’s true that from the noble girl, I was constantly sensing small amounts of magic)

「And with that, you would have to be constantly replenishing your magic power. Depending on the guess some calculation mistakes are bound to appear, but that would consume quite a bit of magic power. And, only young children and holders of high-class magic power magic stones can use magic without having to consciously quantify it.」

Sirius, one by one, lines his words up looking at her, as if he was checking his answers.

「Young children, to prevent their bodies from growing up, they invoke magic power in the form of emitting it. Magic stones are stones being used to store magic power. High-class magic power owners, because their magic power is inexhaustible, even if utilised never runs out. That is why they are able to unconsciously use magic without the need to visualise it as a quantity. From the fact that the magic seal is removed, Liliana-sama can be evaluated as a high-class magic power owner I think.」

(Well, it’s understandable to be thinking like that.)

「To understand the risks behind Liliana-sama’s unconscious use of magic, I used the elementary practice of creating ripples. “If she could come to consciously knowing with this…”, I thought. The result was out of my expectations. If a single wrong move was taken, there would have been a crisis of magic power rampaging.」

(It really was rash. To think she had that much magic power. I underestimated how bad even elementary practices could get.)

(That magic power really was absurd. Out of my expectations.)

「Right and wrong, it’s fifty-fifty. That thought process is already embedded too deeply into your head. Then let’s talk about the correct answer.」

She giggled.

(If I wasn’t there, the magic power would have rampaged, probably causing serious damage yet, to be laughing is…)

(Stop that, Mystia. The Madame knew this, yet didn’t tell me, who is educating Liliana-sama. In other words, everything is playing out in Madame’s hand. We were being tested.)

I unintentionally grimace.

「The stone which works as the core of the sealing magic is a white pebble you could find lying anywhere along the road, and is just called a sealing stone. Sealing stones have the properties to absorb and seal magic power. Sealing stones that absorb magic power eventually turn into magic stones, holding power. The stronger the child’s magic power, the stronger the strength of the magic power packed in the magic stone.」

She suddenly stood up, walking to the desk. She pulled out a small casket from the drawer and came back.

Sitting back down, she unlocked the casket and took something covered in a very soft cloth out.

「This was a sealing stone, used as the core for a sealing magic but Liliana-chan’s emitted magic power was absorbed into and transformed this stone into a magic stone.」

What appeared from the casket was a necklace embedded with a three centimeter long, amethyst-coloured, spherical magic stone.

「This is the sealing stone that Liliana-chan had worn from when she was born to when she turned seven. Please, confirm it.」

Saying that, she handed the casket containing the magic stone to Sirius.

Normally, you can’t sense magic power unless the magic is in use.

That’s why you can’t measure an individual’s magic power.

The reason why, even if the amount of magic power is low, if it is imagined right, the power can become stronger.

But, there is only one way to measure magic power.

That is magic stones.

If you look at the quality and amount of magic power stored inside their magic stone, you can figure out how much a person’s power is.

The created magic stone’s colour is determined by their disposition and their specialty magic’s attribute’s colour.

If the sealing stone absorbs someone’s magic power even once, then that person can use it but if it absorbs someone else’s magic power then it can no longer seal magic power.

That’s why, by using a magic stone as a medium, a person can use another person’s magic power.

When the magic power stored in a magic stone runs out, it goes back to its original ‘sealing stone’ form, able to be used as the next person’s sealing stone core.

That’s why we can’t run into a deficit of sealing stones in this world, they can just be found lying on the roadside.

「This colour is…… on top of that, normally you couldn’t tell the stored amount and quality of magic power in a magic stone without touching it. But I haven’t even touched it yet and just from looking, I can tell it’s a magic stone overflowing with power.」

Sirius timidly reaches his hand out.

The instant he touches it, Sirius lets go of it as if he was being repelled by something.

「What a terrific crystallisation of magic power. With only seven years of magic power emission, to think it would get this far. But this is too powerful for someone as powerless as me.」

I look fixedly on the magic stone that Sirius, who is sitting next to me, holds.

(What excessively beautiful and pure power. The more I look, the harder it is to look away, it’s entrancing.)

Even though I’m still looking, Sirius hands the casket back to her.

(I wanted to look at it more.)

(You’ve looked enough, haven’t you?)

「It’s a considerably splendid stone, isn’t it. I am the reason Liliana-chan was to remove her sealing stone.」

She put the casket back in the desk in the reverse order she took it out from, and sat down.

「I didn’t want Liliana-chan to die.」

「What do you mean by that?」

Sirius froze.

(For someone who had no interest in things and people, you’ve changed quite a bit.)

Sirius must have been pretty shaken up as he did not respond.

「Think of magic power as water. You pour water into a cup, and what spills out gets absorbed by a magic stone (sponge), but the amount is too excessive and it can’t catch up. The magic power, with nowhere to go, goes back to the cup which is Liliana-chan’s body. Also, until the body gets used to it, the magic power is constantly in a state where it is emitted. That’s why Liliana-chan has, since she was young, had fevers and had to stay in bed a lot. It was because Liliana-chan’s magic power was too strong.」

She looked far away as if remembering that time, wearing a sad expression.

(All sealing stones’ magic power absorption rates are the same. That’s why even if it was exchanged for a new one, nothing would change. Magic power would endlessly accumulate, yet since they all have the same absorption rate, she would have no doubt been impatient.)

「Liliana-chan probably doesn’t remember because her consciousness was faint, but occasionally her lifeforce scared us. Desperately fighting, suffering because of her magic power…… Liliana-chan could have been lost…… I can’t forget the fear from that time. That’s why I removed Liliana-chan’s magic seal. If I did that, then the unabsorbed magic power would not return back to the body.」

「In other words, Liliana-sama is still in the emission stage, is that right?」

(I thought it was a possibility ,but to think it was really like that.)

(The noble girl is eight now, right? That’s rare.)

「That’s right. Normally, the body gets used to and stops emitting at three. The current records state that the longest emission stage lasted until seven years of age. That’s why we were constantly praying ‘It’ll end soon, It’ll end soon…’, but it never did. Then, when Liliana-chan turned seven I took the magic seal off. I couldn’t take it any more.」

(It’s that, ‘A parent’s heart thinks of their child’, right. Even though people all die eventually.)

(The fear of eventually being visited by death, to try to escape from that curse is the destiny of humans.)

「There was a reason we didn’t teach her magic. We determined that the only reason that Liliana-chan was still in her emission stage, her body still unadapted at seven was because she had to be an owner of high-class magic power. It’s still fine now. Magic used unconsciously has been using only the emitted magic power as a source after all. The only reason for worry is when her body gets used to the magic power, and she starts utilising the inexhaustible supply of magic power as a source for the subconsciously used magic.」

(Inexhaustible supply…… terrifying.)

「The majority of high-class magic power owners wear magic seals for their subconscious utilisation of magic. Since the absorption can’t catch up, like in the water analogy, it was returned to Liliana-chan’s body. But it’s the opposite for high-class magic power owners. In the case of utilising magic, the magic power volume (water volume) is immediately poured into the sealing stone (cup). It’s fine if the magic power volume (water volume) doesn’t exceed the maximum capacity of the sealing stone (cup). But if it does come to exceed the capacity of magic power volume (water volume), then the sealing stone (cup) will break. Anyway, emission occurs in a slow stream of magic power, but magic comes crashing out like a flood of water. If that happens then the magic seal will become unable to complete its role. The worst case would be when a strong wish imbued with almost all a person’s magic power is used for and activates magic. It seems like a lot of those cases end up with a magic power rampage.」

「A man-made calamity. If you open up scrolls of the past, then it’s not like you wouldn’t find anything like that.」

(Talking about this and that, that time must really have been such a catastrophe for you.)

(As expected, you haven’t lived long for no reason.)

(Whatever could you be talking about?)

I glare at Sirius, but he feigns ignorance.

「Power that is too strong will stay away from people. Once long ago, I was allowed to read a book that is prohibited to anyone but the royal family, but it was awful. The royal family are a clan from descendants of Gods. Blood gets weaker as generations pass. Yet there are a lot of high-class magic power owners in the family. But occasionally in the family’s genealogy there have been those born with magic power that is far superior to the others. Those royal children’s destinies end up too cruel. That is why those books were designated as prohibited.」

(The royal family of Shelfield Kingdom are descendants of the Goddess of beauty, love and bountiful crops, that’s why it’s not strange that one or two powerful magic power owners appear.)

「The previous child was, for having too much power and before being able to come to understanding the world, was locked in a white room, never coming to develop a human consciousness and heart. One child, being too kind, in fear of causing harm to tose around them, stopped thinking and damaged their own vocal cords to the point that they lost their voice. As a result, they lived. But their consciousness broken, they were in a state equal to death. Could you really call that living?」

(People fall into fear at the sight of an overwhelming power in front of them. Spirits, on the other hand, can perform their role with more power, and be praised. It doesn’t go so well, with humans’ frail bodies.)

「Liliana-chan is such a kind, smart child. When she comes to realise the risks of magic and recognise her own huge amount of magic power, can she keep that smile up?」

「Liliana-sama is, certain to blame herself. When she realises that possibility, she will probably follow in the footsteps of the royal children of the prohibited books.」

She looks at Sirius and smiles sadly.

「Sirius seems to also care for Liliana-chan. Thank you.」

「That is not the case.」

(With a face like that, I’m surprised you can say that. I really want to show you a mirror right now.)

Sirius wore a very bitter face.

I’m sure that thinking of the noble girl’s sad future hurt.

Recently, Sirius’ expressions have been getting a lot more rich.

That is a pleasant change.

(Shut up.)

It’s vexing that his foulmouthedness hasn’t changed a bit though.

「Even so, I’m grateful. Not informing her of the risks is probably terribly cruel and irresponsible. But I believe in her, as her mother. If Liliana-chan begins to walk down the wrong path, I will, as her mother, stop her with all my power. And I will take responsibility with her. I’ve had that responsibility since she was in my belly. That is why I removed her magic seal and didn’t teach her magic.」

(Mother is strong, huh? It’s very obvious that she cares deeply for the noble girl and her relatives, but her love as a parent exceeds that and is much deeper.)

「Actually, before I took off the magic seal, I asked Liliana-chan a question. “Normally, what are you thinking about?”.」

As if she was reliving those days, her expression completely changed from the sombre expression from moments before to chuckling with a smiling face.

「Liliana-chan said this. 『The same as everyone else. ‘It would be nice if it was sunny.’, ‘It would be nice if we have a bountiful harvest.’, like that, I just think of a lot of ‘it would be nice’s. But I think that what’s most important is for everyone to have a happy smile. But I think that everyone thinks of these things. But, to say these things out loud is, embarrassing. But saying them aloud, I feel like will cause them to come true, like Kotodama.』 Liliana-chan is such a kind girl.」

「And Kotodama is……?」

(Kotodama? Even I haven’t heard of that before.)

「Mysterious power is said to dwell in words. It is said that words, when said, have the ability to manipulate reality. And this is apparently called ‘Kotodama’; the Soul of Language. That’s why Liliana-chan says good things, and keeps ominous things in the depths of her heart, she said. She shouldn’t have understood magic yet, but she said that as if she had complete faith in it. It really surprised me.」

(That’s just like Liliana-sama. But as always she talks as if she knows everything.)

(Kotodama…… although the words are different, it almost has the exact same meaning as magic.)

「Liliana-chan’s magic feels as if it harmonises with the earth and air, it gives you a warm feeling like being hugged. When you realise that you feel it, it’s right next to you. Liliana-chan’s kind magic.」 (?)

(To wish for fortune. That is an invisible, unreliable force, yet people don’t stop wishing for it.)

「Liliana-chan is still in her growing period. Magic power continues to grow up until maturity at 16 years old. Really, while she’s my daughter, how ominous. But, she is our pride and joy daughter. She just has a bit more magic power than normal, a child that can make people happy, like you can find anywhere.」

What she has, is unconditional motherly love.

I had something I was curious about.

Sirius left the room, but I stayed.

The people in the room were Oliviria Viscountess and I.

She stands up from her seat and faces me.

When that happens, the glaring sun is hidden by clouds, and the room is covered in a gloomy darkness.

I think ‘Perfect’, and observe her eyes.

Her eyes in the light looked amber.

But, in the darkness her eyes had a faint redness in them.

(I see, so it’s like that.)

「I am terribly sorry for being tardy in my introductions. Water Spirit-sama.」

She, like a lady, elegantly bows to me and doesn’t raise her head.

「Just as my husband is my husband, and I am myself, I attempted to test Sirius. My husband wanted Sirius to be able to come to understand Liliana. I wanted him to think of Liliana as most important. Sirius pointed that out splendidly.」

She is not a human blessed by a spirit.

That’s why I cannot voice my thoughts.

But, she can see my form.

She probably wants to tell me.

「I humbly apologise for putting Water Spirit-sama and Sirius through such a terrible experience. Especially Sirius who only has power equivalent to a normal person, giving him a strict task that could even have been life-threatening. But I went through with it, knowing that he has Water Spirit-sama’s blessing. The rampage was suppressed and Sirius and Liliana made it through safely thanks to the assistance of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.」

So she knew I had granted Sirius my blessing, before testing.

Just as Sirius said, everything played out in her hand.

「Also, please forgive my rudeness. Liliana has Hime’s blood. Following the contract, I leave Liliana in your hands.」

For humans it was far in the past.

For spirits it was just in the past.

There was once a human called ‘Hime’ by spirits.

I close my eyes, and a memory from long ago surfaces vividly in my mind.

Glittering, gently flowing hair and large pupils that seem to draw you in, clad in supreme, sacred-colours.

Hime was an infinitely pure and beautiful human.

『Ufufu, so you are Mistia-sama, am I correct? Spirit King-sama mentioned a water spirit that wasn’t suited to water so I was looking forward to meeting you. My name is——』

The lineage of Hime.

In other words, she is of the bloodline of that ally.

Hime and spirit’s contract.

Spirits cannot make mistakes in contracts.

Nevertheless, what a cunning woman.

But, it’s not like I dislike that.

I grab the shoulder of the woman who still has not raised her head, and have her raise it.

I too, will tell her.

I looked her in the eye and smiled

(With this, the acknowledgement is established.)

The next day, Sirius tests making ripples with magic at the lake, I say but I watch at a distance again.

(Are you planning on making the same mistake as yesterday?)

(Trying to get Liliana to acquire awareness of her own magic power, as I did yesterday, is a mistake. Like that, the magic power in Liliana-sama’s body (vessel) would be used like in yesterday’s magic. Then, Liliana-sama’s magic power numerical value equivalent of 100 was too much, so it ended like that.)

(I’m glad. So it’s not like you forgot.)

I remember yesterday’s magic power torrent and start trembling without realising.

(That’s why I told Liliana-sama to forget the concept of magic power. Like that, the emitted magic power would start to get utilised in the magic instead. We’re starting.)

As I watch the noble girl, she closes her eyes and concentrates on her imagination like yesterday.

Then the noble girl’s magic power starts to gather.

I, without thinking, froze my body, but it wasn’t a torrent of high-class magic power like yesterday, and the assembled magic power blends with the water, gently assimilating.

The water surface, without a single wave, was covered in a veil of silence.

The noble girl crosses her fingers, drawing them to her chin.

「I pray that ripples will appear on the pond!」

As the noble girl words her wish, ripples appear on the lake’s surface as if a stone had just been thrown in.

From the center, the ripples resonate and expand.

(It’s as if the noble girl’s feelings are being put into the ripples.)

(That’s not necessarily untrue.)

The noble girl slowly opens her eyes.

「Sirius-sensei! I was able to create some beautiful ripples!!」

The noble girl must have been really happy as she turned around full of vigor to Sirius.

Her eyes, shining with excitement, would mesmerise anyone.

By just looking at her, it even makes me happy.

I climb to the sky in a good mood.

When I do, I receive a telepathic message from Sirius.

(But spirits are really mysterious, huh. You grant a blessing to someone like me, but it seems like Liliana-sama also has enough worth to catch your interest.)

(Ara, did you think I would give you the reason so simply? You’ll come to know it sooner or later.)

(That is true.)

Sirius likes mysteries and secrets now more than he did as a child.

And, he likes nothing more than to solve those.

When Sirius stops pursuing mysteries, that’s when I will turn my back on him.

Don’t disappoint me.

Recently, some wind spirit has also shown signs of taking a liking to Sirius.

To try to take my things, what nerve.

I was the first to find him.

I float down as if I was slipping on a water surface.

(Now, don’t make me bored. My precious children of men!!)

Ara, Sirius.

What is with that look? It’s rude.

My heart speeds up at the thought of the coming future, as I disappear into the water.