Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Back Home 

There exists a theory that states the world is an infinite existence. This doesn’t refer to the physical space of the world, but rather the number of worlds within “the world” at large. Such worlds are called parallel worlds, as they exist parallel to one another in the image of a master world. They could also be called counterfeit worlds, in that sense. 

For example, people who are alive and well on Earth may not even exist on a parallel Earth. Or a policeman who lives his life in the righteous light of day might be a criminal lurking in the dark underbelly of society in a parallel world. To take it to the very extreme, the roll of a single die could have six different results in six different parallel worlds. 

For every “something someone did,” for every “something that happened,” for every “what if,” and for every regret, every changed mind, and every wish for things to play out differently... an entirely new parallel world was given form. 

Now, the existence of separate worlds is a completely distinct theory from that of parallel worlds, though perhaps such worlds could also be called counterfeits... 

Blue sparks flickered into the air atop the lawn of a certain mansion garden. But the dancing phosphorescence illuminating the area was no natural phenomenon. No, it was the light of mana. 

The lights crawled across the ground in lines, drawing geometric patterns within a circle. At first, what looked like a rogue current that escaped the bounds of electrical resistance shot out of the ground. It then grew in brilliance, making it impossible to tell it was the dead of night. 

The light eventually grew dimmer and dimmer, and when it died down enough, five silhouettes could be seen standing atop the circle: one man and four women. 

The ritual in front of Suimei’s residence in the other world was successfully completed and the teleportation circle had activated without incident. Suimei, Felmenia, Lefille, Liliana, and Hatsumi were now safely transported to Suimei’s home world. 

And so Suimei took his first step in a very familiar garden. It lay behind the house it shared a lot with, running quite contrary to the typical Japanese trend of having a single garden in the front yard. It was made to mimic a Western park, including the brick sidewalk that ran through it. There were also garden chairs and tables, manicured hedges, and even a small gazebo further within. 

The brick sidewalk was uneven after some bricks had sunken in more than others. Spots of rotten wood were visible on the table and chairs from prolonged exposure to the elements. And the frosty gray gazebo in the back was slowly being overtaken by ivy. 

There were several plaster dolls placed around the garden as if to liven up the place. They looked like the kind that might start moving once night fell, but little did the casual observer know they were made to move day or night. They were traps strategically placed around the garden on purpose, making this garden perhaps the most dangerous place in the entire estate. 

Suimei turned around to face the rather stately Yakagi mansion. It was a Queen Anne-style house with hints of Meiji and Taisho era architecture. The entire building was decorated with medallions as a ward against evil spirits, and even had a small tower to top it all off. 

Suimei’s gaze, however, drifted towards the veranda. Through the frosted glass, he could see the vague contour of a rocking chair inside. 

I’m really back. 

Homesickness had long taken root in Suimei’s heart, and relief welled up in his chest upon seeing his father’s rocking chair. 

The sun had been shining when Suimei and the girls departed the other world, but it was the dead of night here in Japan. 

The time is different... 

Realizing that, a sudden anxiety assaulted him. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t predicted this possibility, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. 

Suimei would be thankful if any errors in his calculations merely amounted to a small time discrepancy. But if they added up to something larger, that would be a very serious problem indeed. If time passed differently between this world and the other, Suimei’s home world very well may have left him behind. And the bigger the difference was, the further behind he would be. 

As Suimei prayed in his heart that he wouldn’t become a real-life Urashima Taro, he could hear an excited voice behind him. 

“It’s really... bright.” 

It was Liliana, who was looking out of the garden and towards the city. Her usually half-open, sleepy eye was like a saucer. The other two visitors, Felmenia and Lefille, were similarly wide-eyed. 

Once night fell in the other world, it was essentially pitch black outside. The only beacons in the dark were the moon, the stars, and the occasional manmade fire. Major cities had mana lamps here and there, but they were largely used to safeguard public order where nobles lived. They weren’t found just anywhere. 

But things were different in this world. Japan in particular had exterior lights all over, and the local streets were often illuminated with warm light flooding out of neighborhood homes. Even in the dead of night, it was never really dark. 

This was especially true looking towards town from the Yakagi estate, which sat on a slightly elevated lot. It had a terrific view of the city—an especially remarkable sight to anyone who had never seen such a thing before. 

Lefille suddenly looked up to the sky, as if drawn by something. 

“Suimei-kun, there’s a light moving up there... Is that a star?” 

“That? Nah, pretty sure that’s an airplane—a vehicle that carries people around.” 

“That’s a vehicle?!” 

“B-But Suimei-dono, isn’t that quite far up?!” 

“Yeah, I guess it is. The takeoff and landing zones are pretty far apart, so I’m pretty sure they get up to altitudes over ten thousand meters.” 

“T-Ten thousand...?” 

Suimei had already taught his three visitors the colloquial units of measurement, so they were aghast to hear him say the plane was so high up in the air. Lefille turned to Hatsumi for confirmation, and she gave her an affirmative nod. 

“So that’s... a machine, was it? Those things made of very intricate devices?” 

“Yeah. There are things like that all over this world.” 

The three girls stared in wonderment at the city and the airplane a while longer before finally turning around to get a look at the building behind them. 

“So is this your house, Suimei-dono?” 

Suimei nodded at Felmenia’s question, and the three visitors once again stood there staring in astonishment. 

“It’s quite large, isn’t it?” 

“It sure is big.” 

“It’s... really... huge.” 

“...Right?” 

Of the girls, Hatsumi was the only one whose tone had an edge of exasperation. 

“Is it?” 

Suimei had lived in this house ever since he was born, so its size didn’t particularly impress him. He knew it occupied somewhat more land than the other houses in the area and was somewhat more lavishly made, but it didn’t hold a candle to the luxurious properties people had overseas. Over in America, even normal people lived in absurdly large homes. 

So for Suimei, whose mystical work had him flying all around the world, the girls’ surprise upon seeing his house was beyond his comprehension. Unable to ignore his typical obliviousness, Hatsumi let out an astonished sigh. 

“A normal house doesn’t typically have a third floor, you know?” 

“Oh, right.” 

“Um, Suimei-dono, is your estate not larger than Duke Hadorious’s?” 

“If you count the garden, his place is probably bigger. But I guess we might have more floor space here, huh?” Suimei replied in a frivolous tone. 

At this, Lefille began rubbing her brow. 

“Suimei-kun, is your family perhaps quite rich?” 

“Well, our wealth is commensurate with our family history, I guess,” Suimei said with a shrug as though it were no big deal. 

Hatsumi followed up by elbowing him in the side. 

“Lefille-san, don’t listen to this liar. Pretty much all the lots in this neighborhood belong to Suimei’s family.” 

“The entire neighborhood?” 

“Yeah. If not for that, there’s no way we could’ve gotten a house built right next to his so quickly.” 

Hatsumi looked over to the neighboring house as if to guide everyone’s gaze. Right next door, you see, was the Kuchiba residence. In stark contrast to the Yakagi mansion, it was of a thoroughly Japanese design. Furthermore, it even had a dojo attached to it. The plot it occupied was considerable, and the house itself was also quite large. 

Needless to say, Felmenia and the others were amazed by it as well. 

“So you really are rich...” 

“Well, magicians need both land and money.” 

Just as Suimei claimed, both wealth and land were important to magicians. A certain purchasing power was necessary to acquire the tools and resources required for magickal study. Moreover, rituals differed greatly depending on factors such as geography and feng shui. Acquiring suitable land was a top priority, and that took money too. In short, it was an absolute necessity for magicians to maintain a certain level of affluence. In a way, they were the very antithesis of humble storybook heroes content with noble poverty. 

Suddenly out of nowhere, the sound of a revving engine cut across the yard. Seemingly surprised by what she assumed to be an explosion, Liliana’s body trembled with a start. She then turned towards the direction of the sound. 

“What was... that? It seems like... it’s getting... farther away.” 

“Eh, that was probably some hotrod. Or maybe a souped-up bike. It’s pretty normal to hear loud noises like that around here, so you don’t really need to pay them much mind, okay?” 

Giving it some thought upon returning home, Suimei realized that the other world was rather quiet. It was unusual for there to be a racket unless there was an emergency or notable celebration. Meanwhile, this world was filled with noise at all hours of the day. Suimei hadn’t really felt that way before, but he was keenly aware of it now that he’d been away for some time. 

And as such reflections occupied his mind, Hatsumi let out a sigh of relief. Taking a closer look at her, there was no longer any trace of tension whatsoever in her face. It seemed it had finally sunk in... 

“We’re really back, huh?” 

“Yeah, though it’s honestly kinda weird that’s what hit it home.” 

“Seriously. A roaring muffler just lacks elegance.” 

Hatsumi puffed out her cheeks in resentment like an unspeakable irritation had welled up within her. But it didn’t last long. She abruptly deflated her cheeks and, without warning, leaned against Suimei’s chest. 

“Hey now... What’s with this all of a sudden?” 

“...I’m just really glad. We’re back. I thought this might never happen. That I might never see my mom again. So...” 

“Yeah.” 

Hatsumi was letting out all the anxiety that had been mounting within her, and Suimei gently stroked her head as she vented. The words spilling from her mouth laid bare how touched she really was, and her golden hair fluttered as if brushed by a wave of emotion. That was just how happy she was to be home. 

But just then... 

A sudden burst of mana could be felt coming from the house. 

“That’s—!” 

“!” 

Felmenia and Liliana immediately jumped to action upon sensing the sudden accumulation of mana. They took on combat postures with shrewd movements and let their own mana overflow without hesitation. Even as the source of the manaburst drew their gazes, they kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings. Both girls were prepared for the possibility that the burst of mana was just a decoy. Their precise, tactful reactions were exactly what you’d expect from two seasoned mages... No, magicians. 

As for the sole resident of the house, Suimei was languidly scratching his head with a sigh. He wasn’t surprised at this turn of events, and he certainly wasn’t alarmed. The gentle rosewood aroma wafting over the garden alone told him that the source of the mana wasn’t an enemy. 

The atmosphere that fell over the area felt heavy, as if everything was being crushed by the weight of the unidentified mana. Looking at it closely, the black of night even appeared to be tinged with a deep, violet, magickal hue. 

A pronounced shadow, slightly darker than the night itself, slipped out the back door of the Yakagi mansion. As it did, Suimei placed his hands on Felmenia and Liliana’s shoulders, telling them not to worry. They calmed their overflowing mana as the shadow turned into a distinct silhouette and its footsteps drew nearer. 

Before long, the silhouette stepped out into the moonlight, revealing what appeared to be a magician. A silk tophat with a red ribbon wrapped around it. A wand tipped with a brilliant gem. A dashing, tailor-fit, ironed tailcoat. The whole ensemble just screamed magician. 

And the one wearing it was an innocent-looking girl about Felmenia’s height. She had black hair, and her skin had both the smooth stiffness and lovely luster of porcelain. Her eyes reflected the scant light of night like sparkling gems, and her face was completed with slender eyebrows and a thin nose. 

Her face was absolutely expressionless, but her tone and presence made her wrath quite clear. 

“SUIMEI-KUN!” 

“Yo. Long time no see.” 

The girl in the magician’s outfit was none other than Hydemary Alzbayne, Yakagi Suimei’s disciple-cum-assistant-cum-familiar. 

“Oh!” 

Taking a closer look at the girl who was trembling in anger as she drew nearer, Hatsumi suddenly let out a gasp of realization. She’d met Hydemary once or twice before and recognized her once she could see her clearly. 

“Jeez! Where! Exactly! Have! You! Been! All! This! Time?!” Hydemary yelled in an unusually shrill voice. “And what’s this?! You brought back a gaggle of girls?! Explain! Just what’s going on here?!” 

Her choice of words made her sound like a hysterical woman who’d just discovered her lover was cheating on her. Hydemary closed in with quick strides, and Suimei immediately threw his hands up in the air as if to surrender. 

“Let me say this before anything else: It wasn’t my fault. I’m the victim here.” 

“How exactly are you the victim, Suimei-kun? Vanishing into thin air without saying a single word to anybody is a complete failure as a high grand class magician, you know?” 

“That’s harsh.” 

“It’s unforgivable to run off and leave your disciple behind in the dark. Right? Am I saying anything strange here?” 

Abandoning all restraint, Hydemary fired off her complaints at Suimei in rapid succession. She’d built up quite a stockpile of ammunition while she was waiting and she was now ready to unload it all at once. She was as expressionless as ever, but Suimei was familiar enough with her body language and tone that he could tell just how angry she really was. 

Before he dealt with Hydemary, however, there was something Suimei urgently needed to know. 

“Mary, let me ask you something first. Exactly how much time has passed since I broke contact?” 

“Half a year! HALF! A! YEAR! You’ve been gone for six months and thirteen days, Suimei-kun!” 

“I see.” 

By Suimei’s estimation, that was about how much time he’d spent in the other world. He couldn’t be sure down to the day, but a week or so either way was well within the margin of error. So, upon hearing Hydemary’s answer, a great sense of relief washed over Suimei. She seemed to pick up on the subtle change in his expression. 

“What are you so relieved for? That’s not all there is to you being gone, you know? Do you have any idea what kind of effect your disappearance has had all over the—” 

“I know, I know...” 

“Really? Do you really know? Let’s limit the dumb antics to your face, shall we?” 

As impertinent as ever, Hydemary didn’t forget to casually throw in an insult for good measure. 

Meanwhile, the four other girls were downright astonished by this exchange. You could say that Hydemary had thrown them all for a loop, but they were also stunned by Suimei allowing himself to be so railroaded. 

As for Suimei... 

“Mary, how did the leader and the others take it?” 

“You mean how did the Society react when you vanished? The same as usual, I’d say.” 

“Meaning?” 

“The leader just said, ‘Well, this kinda thing happens. Vanishing for ten or twenty years is pretty common for magicians. Mhm. Pretty common.’ And Professor Nicolas was all, ‘I predict that the little rascal got caught up in something fun! This is Suimei we’re talking about!’ You know?” 

“Hahh...” 

Suimei unintentionally let out a sigh. Was the fact that they weren’t all that worried about him good or bad? It at least meant they trusted him to a certain extent, but Suimei was finding it hard to be happy about that under the circumstances. 

“Of course, the chairman was in a bad mood.” 

“I bet he was.” 

The chairman Hydemary mentioned was the one serious figure among the three oldest members of the Society who served as its top brass. It was only obvious that he’d be angry over a sudden break in contact. Anyone could guess that Suimei had gotten caught up in some sort of incident, but Suimei still had his position to consider. 

Suddenly, Hydemary leaned in and brought her face closer to Suimei’s. She appeared to be demanding an explanation, but her cuteness severely compromised any intended intimidation. 

“So? Where exactly have you been all this time?” 

“Uh, you know... Just in another world,” Suimei replied rather frankly. 

Hydemary’s gaze instantly felt colder than a Siberian winter. 

“So you finally turned out to be an utter disappointment, huh, Suimei-kun? You’ve read too much manga and too many light novels, and now you think you’re some kind of hero, do you? How sad...” 

“Yeah, except I’m totally not kidding. Why don’t you take a look at that circle over there? It’s pretty neat, you know?” 

“What circle? Hmm...? HMM?!” 

Hydemary didn’t show her emotions on the surface. Or rather, she couldn’t. It wasn’t as though she didn’t possess any; she was simply expressionless. The fact that her eyes shot wide open in surprise now was beyond unusual—it was outright extraordinary. 

“Hahh... So even you react to it like that, huh?” 

“What is this? It goes beyond the path to the astral plane... No way! There’s even a teleportation point set on the other side! What is this?!” 

The teleportation circle was completed at the same time as arriving here. It was something like opening a tunnel between the two worlds. 

“Is this real? It’s not some kind of elaborate trick to cover a mistake you made or anything, Suimei-kun?” 

“It’s real.” 

“Wow, now that’s amazing. Won’t you-know-who go crazy over this? Doesn’t it use things like the Fermi paradox and the Drake equation as a running start and then just take off completely?” 

“Yup.” 

“So? What’s the meaning of this?” 

“I was summoned. And it took a super long time to figure out a way back. A genius like you can more or less figure out the rest, right?” 

“Mm. In short, you’re a careless idiot who got caught in someone else’s coerced teleportation, right?” 

“Don’t be unreasonable. There was divine power involved in this. I couldn’t do anything about it.” 

“Says the inhuman jerk who thwarted the apocalypse and drove divinity out of our world? You certainly don’t sound like the great magician who keeps racking up achievements that will go down in the annals of magicka right now. Shouldn’t you check your humanity before spouting off like that, Master Suimei?” 

“Don’t poke fun at me.” 

“I’m not really poking fun at you or anything though,” Hydemary said, letting out a deliberately loud sigh, though still completely expressionless. Perhaps she was trying to give the impression that she was deeply exasperated by all of this. 

“Sorry for troubling you.” 

“Seriously. I took three laps around the world looking all over for you, you know? Do you hear me? Three. Whole. Laps. If you hadn’t shown up tonight, I was just about to go mountain climbing in Antarctica, you know?” 

She looked for me that hard? 

“...Er, I’ll treat you to some candy later.” 

“You had better.” 

Hydemary puffed out her chest in resentment. Her behaving like this was a pain for Suimei, but right now, he felt far too guilty to be irritated by it. 

Sensing a break in the conversation, Lefille took the opportunity to clear her throat. 

“Ahem... Suimei-kun, is now a good time?” she asked with a cough. 

“Oh! My bad,” he replied. 

“Honestly. It’s bad manners to ignore everyone else while you railroad the conversation,” Hydemary chimed in. 

“You really gotta say that kinda crap each and every...” 

“Bleh!” 

Hydemary stuck her tongue out in response to Suimei’s reproachful gaze. Both her verbal abuse and gestures were extremely childlike... Not that that was out of character in her case; she really was a child. 

“So does all this mean these girls... are people from another world? And you brought them here? Other than Hatsumi-chan, of course.” 

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” 

“Mm. Long time no see, Hatsumi-chan.” 

There, Hatsumi and Hydemary approached each other and shared greetings. Hydemary played the part of Suimei’s friend from overseas whenever she visited his house, so she and Hatsumi had crossed paths before and were well acquainted by now as a matter of course. 

“I guess we’ll start with introductions,” said Suimei, directing everyone’s attention to Hydemary in lieu of a host. 

He cleared his throat just like Lefille had earlier, and ushered Hydemary to step forward. 

“This is Hydemary Alzbayne. She’s a magician affiliated with the Society, the same organization I belong to. She’s also my disciple.” 

“Indeed. I’m Hydemary Alzbayne, the genius magician who’s more or less serving as Suimei-kun’s disciple,” she said as she twirled her wand around, took her hat off, and bowed precisely as a stage magician would. 

Both Lefille and Felmenia were at a loss for how to respond to such a bold introduction. It wasn’t every day that someone proclaimed themselves a genius, after all. 

“A g-genius?” 

“Is that really something you say about yourself...?” 

“I’m extremely, extremely, reluctant to admit it, but Mary here is actually a bona fide genius.” 

“Aren’t I amazing? Teehee.” 

Upon receiving Suimei’s endorsement, Hydemary pridefully puffed out her chest. Suimei, however, quickly tacked on one last thing. 

“Also, she isn’t human.” 

“What...? Suimei-dono, do you mean that in the sense that she’s a magician?” 

“No, I really mean she’s not human. Mary is a so-called manmade lifeform. A homunculus.” 

“A homunculus?” 

“Manmade? You mean to say she was created artificially?” 

Felmenia and Lefille were unable to hide their bewilderment upon hearing the word homunculus. But who could blame them? Artificial life was practically unheard of, and those who knew its secrets often avoided it for both practical and moral reasons. After Suimei briefly explained exactly what homunculi were, however, the girls’ bewilderment only increased. 

“That all sounds quite... murky.” 

“I mean... Life is a gift from the Goddess and the fruit of human love. Replicating that with one’s own hands is a little...” 

Her very existence was difficult for them to accept, yet Hydemary spoke as though she knew nothing of their reluctance. 

“Just about the only difference is whether you’re grown in a human womb or a test tube. And either way, I’m the result of someone’s will to procreate, so what difference does it really make?” 

“I see... That’s one way of thinking about it...” 

“There are those who also subscribe to your way of thinking in this world, but it largely falls under the religious approach to the topic. If they concede to the scientific approach, they feel it would be denying everything they’ve been taught to believe. And so they reject it under the convenient front of blasphemy.” 

“Hey, you’re getting off track.” 

Suimei jostled Hydemary’s shoulder and interrupted her enthusiastic lecture. He knew she could go on endlessly when it came to philosophical discussions of life. 

“But you get it, right?” 

“Yeah, I get it. So calm down a bit, okay?” 

“Mrrgh...” 

Hydemary still had much more to say on the subject, which was only natural as it personally concerned her. Objections to creating life by human hands were tantamount to objections to her very existence. Hydemary was undeniably artificial, but just as she was demonstrating now, she could move, think, and act all on her own. She was very much alive. And she had no interest in hearing that her life and what had created it were wrong. 

At last getting back to the introductions, Suimei looked over to Felmenia. 

“My name is Felmenia Stingray. I’m currently under Suimei-dono’s tutelage as his disciple.” 

“Huh? Ooh! That makes you my junior disciple!” 

Hydemary’s previous discontent seemed to go flying out the window as she raised an extremely cheerful voice. She practically skipped over to Felmenia, who was visibly confused. Hydemary, on the other hand, was brimming with curiosity. 

Upon seeing all this, Lefille leaned in and whispered into Suimei’s ear. 

“Suimei-kun, this girl can be, um... quite childish, can’t she?” 

“Well, despite what her appearance suggests, she is actually a child.” 

“Pardon?” 

Suimei decided to spare Lefille the details and leave that discussion for later. There was no rush to get into any of that yet. 

“I’m... Liliana Zandyke. Like Felmenia... I have become... Suimei’s disciple.” 

“This girl too?” 

Hydemary leaned forward and peered at Liliana’s face. Her unreserved stare had Liliana, who wasn’t used to dealing with people, immediately recoiling. But for every step she took backward, Hydemary took one forward to keep the distance between them from growing. This cycle repeated itself as they slowly chased each other around the yard. 

“U-Um... Uh...” 

“No need to be so anxious.” 

“Augh...” 

Liliana reluctantly came to a stop, and Hydemary took the opportunity to observe her from every angle. She was like a photographer who wanted to capture every aspect of her subject. In the end, she even grabbed Liliana’s violet hair to inspect it. 

“What’s gotten into you?” Suimei couldn’t help asking. 

“Nothing, really. Looking at Liliana-chan just stirred up a little inspiration.” 

“Ah, of course... But knock it off for now.” 

Liliana’s appearance was incredibly striking, and she had a lot going for her visually. Youthful looks. Gothic lolita fashion from another world. That twintail hairstyle. Even an eyepatch. She was an ideal study for Hydemary, who made dolls as a hobby. 

Once he realized what was going on, however, Suimei chided Hydemary as he pulled her away by the arm, forcefully putting an end to her study of Liliana. 

“I’m Lefille Grakis. I’m not Suimei-kun’s disciple, seeing as I’m not a magician and all, but I guess you could say I’m his companion?” 

“Oh?” 

At Lefille’s introduction, Hydemary demonstrated an entirely different reaction than she’d had with the other two girls. She stared at Lefille closely as she charmingly cocked her head to the side. She then stepped forward and began poking at Lefille. 

“Um...” Lefille muttered in a troubled manner. 

Hydemary’s behavior was most rude, but her innocent demeanor made it difficult to reprimand her appropriately. Her intense interest in Lefille, however, was perfectly understandable. Any magician in this world would have been equally taken. 

“You noticed?” Suimei asked from the side. 

“How could I not? Lefille-san, are you...?” Hydemary asked in a perplexed tone. 

“A spirit, yes,” Lefille answered. “Though, strictly speaking, only a half-spirit.” 

“This other world sure is amazing. This is legendary stuff here.” 

Though her face remained expressionless, Hydemary sung great admiration, causing Lefille to knit her brows in response. 

“Is it really that impressive? I mean, it’s pretty special even back in our world, but...” 

“Come now. The very presence of a spirit is incredible, you know? In this world, they vanished from the face of the earth over a hundred years ago.” 

“But there are techniques to summon them here, right? Using those, it shouldn’t be all that difficult to see one.” 

“Spirit sightings aren’t all that uncommon, no. But what’s truly special is the way your existence has manifested. A summoning is merely temporary, but that’s not the case for you, right? Despite lacking the requisite offering or mana to maintain your presence here, you’re not vanishing... Moreover, you also exist as half-human,” Hydemary practically cooed with increasing enthusiasm. “It’s amazing. You’ve suddenly gotten me quite curious about this world of yours.” 

“Th-That’s, well... Thank you, I think?” 

Lefille seemed a bit bowled over by Hydemary’s excitement, but Suimei let out a languid sigh to put a damper on the whole thing. 

“But their magicka is kinda...” 

“Why the long face? Is it that disappointing?” 

“Actually, speaking of... Menia, can you use it here?” 

“A moment, please... Yes, it appears to work!” 

“That so? Okay, then can you use that one spell you used to cast?” 

Suimei urged Felmenia to demonstrate her magic, which immediately put Hatsumi in quite a fluster. 

“H-Hang on! You’re planning on using magicka here?!” 

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine as long as we do it on this property.” 

“You’re telling me no one’s going to notice you using magicka here?” 

“Yup. I mean, if that wasn’t the case, don’t you think you would’ve found out about it way sooner?” 

“...Don’t go performing weird rituals right next to my house.” 

“We’re not some cult, damn it. It’s just part of our job as magicians.” 

“Well, um, here I go... Truth Flare!” 

Felmenia incanted her keywords in a casual tone and activated her spell on the spot. It was only a small invocation, allowing the chant to be omitted. A magicka circle... obviously didn’t show up. Felmenia had cast Truth Flare, a magic spell she’d used in her world before Suimei taught her the ways of magicka. 

Nevertheless, a white flame—one just a little hotter than a regular one—danced in the air and illuminated the garden of the Yakagi mansion. The flowers hiding in the dark of night revealed their beautiful colors, and the world around them was suddenly far more vivid than before. 

Any normal person would have been in awe of such a mystical and beautiful scene, but what came out of Hydemary’s mouth sounded much closer to disappointment. 

“Mm, yeah. It’s kind of... questionable. It seems there’s something mediating with it from the outside, though?” 

“It’s a phenomenon of lower-class spirits called the Elements. They’re what’s mediating with the spell.” 

“A phenomenon is?” 

“It happens, right? You know, that. The law of parallel worlds theory.” 

“Really? That super abstract theory that states that because other worlds are governed by different laws, phenomena unique to them can still occur here so long as the two worlds are connected?” 

“Yup. That’s the one. The Elements are one such ‘law’ that gives rise to unique phenomena in their world.” 

“That’s amazing. It was considered a completely empty theory since it was previously impossible to observe other worlds to begin with, wasn’t it?” 

“This just proves that it can be actualized.” 

“That’s a big achievement, Suimei-kun.” 

“Hey, don’t go standing on your tip-toes to hit my head. What do you take me for? Some sort of no-good detective?” 

After wrapping up his little comedy routine with Hydemary, Suimei quickly returned to explaining the theory at hand. 

“Moreover, there are pretty considerable restrictions depending on the type of law. It’s likely the divinity of their world added the law of the Elements as some sort of addendum to the original laws.” 

“So this Elemental business is the mainstream form of magicka in their world?” 

“Yup. They call it magic.” 

Upon hearing that, Hatsumi cocked her head to the side. 

“Wait a second, Suimei. What’s the difference? Between magicka and magic, I mean.” 

“Nuance. Magicka concerns techniques to manipulate the mysteries, while magic concerns mystical law. Well, fundamentally, they both have to do with the mysteries.” 

To a magician, the word “mysteries” generally encompassed all that was mystical in nature. This included, for example, the wonders and monsters of Japan. It could be used as an umbrella term for magicka, mana, and the laws of the world, et cetera—anything and everything mystical. 

“In any event,” Suimei sighed as he turned to Felmenia. “It’s even weaker over here, huh?” 

“Now that you mention it... Yes, it seems to be. It really doesn’t possess its usual power.” 

The white flame that Felmenia had created was lacking destructive power for the mana it used. In essence, the amount of heat it emitted wasn’t particularly high. Contemplating the reason for this... 

It’s just like what happened to me, huh? 

It dawned on Suimei that this was similar to how he’d been unable to bring about his full power in the other world. Magicka utilizing the laws of this world lost its power there; and so too did magicka utilizing the laws of that world lose its power here. It was like how a radio would get staticky when moved too far away from the source of its signal. And that static, so to speak, prevented spells from manifesting at their full power. 

“Okay, try the first spell I taught you next.” 

“White Flame Hyacinth!” 

When Felmenia unleashed her keywords this time, a magicka circle made of white manalight deployed, rotated, and expanded at her feet with white electrical currents. Shortly after, an identical magicka circle took shape in the air and a blinding beam shot into the sky. 

The white light tore through the dark of night with the whistling sound of burning atmosphere. The moment it died out, the remnants of the white manalight came floating back down to earth like powdered snow. It was a truly fantastic sight. 

“Oooh. It’s totally different. The last one was completely anticipated by the spell, but this time the spell properly generated the flames and is intervening with them.” 

The magic of Felmenia’s world was based on the Elements. Said Elements became the medium for the magic, so no matter the spell, the effect always took a fixed form. 

In the case of Felmenia’s Truth Flare, the medium was fire. So if an opponent were to take countermeasures against fire, that alone could render her spell powerless. However, if the fire she created wasn’t based on chemical elements and natural phenomena—in other words, if it employed a more conceptual fire—it couldn’t be dealt with so easily. As long as the foundation of the flames was magical, it would be impossible to dispel them unless the magicka behind them was unraveled. If one were to douse truly magical fire with water, for example, it wouldn’t show the slightest sign of weakening or dying out. 

“What’s more, this spell was quite intricate and finely detailed.” 

“Th-Thank you very much.” 

Felmenia smiled upon receiving Hydemary’s praise. Meanwhile, Hatsumi was still staring up into the sky with her head cocked to the side. 

“I can’t really tell the difference. Was that amazing?” she asked. 

“Rather than amazing, it’d be better to say it was particularly well built,” Hydemary replied. 

“There are a ton of people out there who would try to put something like that together in a slapdash way,” Suimei added. 

The magicka users of the group understood what Suimei meant well enough, but both Hatsumi and Lefille seemed to find his commentary hard to digest. 

“Suimei-kun, you once said that magicka can’t be used unless the proper procedures are followed, right? Is that what you’re talking about?” Lefille asked. 

“It’s somewhat like a painting. Let’s say we have two people paint the same picture—one who pays attention to the finest details and one who doesn’t. Their paintings might look the same from far away, but when observed closely, you’d be able to see the rough work the sloppier painter did. That’s the difference meticulousness makes,” Suimei explained. 

“If the sloppy portions of the spell aren’t cleaned up, they can be taken advantage of. That’s why it’s better for magicka to be finely detailed down to the smallest intricacies,” Hydemary added. 

In keeping with the painting analogy, Hydemary essentially meant that the rougher elements of the painting diminished its value. 

In the midst of this discussion, Liliana suddenly began tugging on Suimei’s sleeve. 

“Suimei... it actually seems like... spells from this world... have become stronger.” 

“Well, I mean, they utilize laws from this world, so that’s only natural.” 

As she processed Suimei’s reply, Lefille seemed to realize something. 

“Wait, does that mean the same is true for your powers, Suimei-kun?” 

“They’re probably back to normal, yeah.” 

Suimei was always diligent when it came to preparing his spells, so they were never lacking in craft. Even outside of battle and in times of peace, he was always fashioning them stronger and more intricate than before. He couldn’t help that his magicka had manifested weaker in the other world, but simply by returning to his own, he was already back at peak power. 

Very suddenly, everyone but Hydemary—who already knew the true extent of his power—was suspiciously eyeing Suimei like some kind of swindler. 

“...” 

“...” 

“...” 

“...” 

“What’s with all of you?” 

When he questioned them, Hatsumi stepped forth as the representative for Team “WTF, Suimei?” 

“Suimei, are you even more of a monster than we thought?” 

“Monster...? It’s not nice to call people that, you know?” 

“I’m surprised... you can say that... with that... constantly lying... tongue of yours.” 

The one to utter such poisonous words with an air of astonishment was, of course, none other than Liliana. 

“I can tell you all about Suimei-kun’s true abilities if you want. But it’s too bad. I would’ve loved to have seen him lose his cool over his weakened magicka. Breaking down at every turn, screaming at the top of his lungs, stamping the ground in frustration...” 

“Erk...” 

Hydemary had practically pinned Suimei to a T, so there was hardly any room for him to argue with her. Especially since he was still feeling self-conscious about the temper tantrum he’d thrown at Royal Castle Camellia in Astel. 

“But if you were to come to our world, Lady Hydemary, wouldn’t the same thing happen to you?” 

“Me? That doesn’t apply to me.” 

“Oh...? Suimei-dono, what does she mean? I thought it was inevitable that magicians from this world experienced weakened magicka once separated from it...” 

“The source of Mary’s techniques is Mary herself. They work as long as she’s present. She does, however, naturally still require the necessary tools to use her magicka.” 

“But I always keep all those shut away in my room.” 

Hydemary’s magicka was categorized as origin magicka here in this world. It wasn’t affiliated with any specific system and was based on laws that she herself gave birth to. Precisely because of that, the mediums and phenomena required for her magicka were at her full disposal no matter where she was. 

And upon hearing this, both Felmenia and Liliana looked at Hydemary in shock. 

“Th-Th-That means...” 

“She’s... the founder... of her own magicka?” 

“Mm, that’s about the short of it.” 

That was exactly it. Hydemary had created a new system of magicka, which wasn’t in and of itself a particularly rare feat. Wielders of origin magicka appeared once every few decades; it was more a matter of whether or not they could manage to leave anything behind before being culled. Those who were lucky enough to keep themselves and their magicka alive were celebrities in the world of magicka in this day and age. 

Turning from the subject of magicka, however, Suimei realized that Hatsumi was a little restless. 

“Hatsumi?” 

“Yeah... I was just thinking maybe it’s about time I show my face.” 

It was the amount of time she’d spent away from home that had Hatsumi on edge. Suimei’s aunt and uncle knew he was a magician, so they likely weren’t too worried about him. But Hatsumi was different. There was no way they wouldn’t be worried about their daughter, and each day that passed by without seeing her only increased that worry. 

“I’ll go with you. Intruding on them with a big group like this would be a little rude, though. The rest of you can wait in my house... Mary, take care of them.” 

“Very well. I also think that would be for the best.” 

Once Hydemary agreed to the plan, Suimei looked to the other girls. 

“I don’t think we should be moving around on our own.” 

“There seems to be a mountain of curiosities all around, so there’s a great deal we still need to have explained to us.” 

“Knowing the local customs... is important.” 

It was only natural for the girls to be wary in a completely foreign world. If one had to be mindful of cultural differences between countries, visiting another world was the extreme version of that. Furthermore, this world abided by different physical laws than what they were used to. It went without saying that they’d need a certain amount of hand-holding while they adjusted to things. 

Suimei then exchanged looks with Hydemary as she asked him a question. 

“Suimei-kun, how advanced was civilization in the other world?” 

“Somewhere between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. What’s more, the mysteries are close to the people, so there were areas here and there that dated even further back.” 

“Wow... Aren’t they going to faint from culture shock?” 

“They should be fine. I did explain what to expect beforehand.” 

“I’m sure they’ll still be surprised.” 

“I bet they will be.” 

Suimei and Hatsumi had explained things to the girls before teleporting, but hearing about something and actually experiencing it were two very different things. The girls would need to see the world for themselves before they truly came to understand it. 

“Let’s go inside for now and give your parents a call.” 

With that, the group headed to the back door of the Yakagi mansion. The traps scattered throughout the yard were all automatic, programmed not to react to the owner or any of his guests. 

Suimei opened the door and instructed the three girls from another world to take off their shoes before heading into the living room. Lying atop the antique furniture there were unfamiliar dolls—and quite a number of them. On the drawers, on the table, on the sofa... They were strewn all over the place. This, of course, wasn’t a decorative choice on Suimei’s part. No, the dolls had been put in place without his consent or knowledge. But he didn’t even need to ask who the culprit was. 

Suimei turned to look at the principal offender, Hydemary, with a reproachful gaze. 

“Say, Mary... What did you do to my house?” 

“This is what you get for being gone so long. I made all of these because I got so bored waiting for you here.” 

Suimei didn’t find that a terribly good excuse for turning someone else’s home into a dollhouse in their absence. 

“And it didn’t cross your mind that this was trespassing?” 

“Not really. I’m your disciple, so you don’t really mind, right? Hatsumi-chan comes over uninvited all the time too, you know?” 

“Well, you got me there...” 

There, Suimei glanced over at the other person in question... But Hatsumi was standing in the living room in wide-eyed shock. 

“That’s a lot of dolls...” 

The trio from another world was similarly in awe. They were each picking up dolls and admiring their delicate handiwork. 

“These are pretty impressive.” 

“They’re so finely made!” 

“They’re... cute.” 

“Well, I’m the one who made them, and I am a genius,” Hydemary boasted. 

“You didn’t curse them or anything, right?” Suimei replied dubiously. 

“There’s no way I would do something so terrible to my little children.” 

“Yeah, right! What about that one?” 

“That one? Oh, the Suimei-kun doll?” Hydemary asked as she pulled a stuffed doll out of nowhere. 

It was a small creation with an adorably oversized head. The doll itself appeared to be a young man with black hair and a black suit... And that was no coincidence, for it had been modeled after a certain someone. 

“Yup. Here it is: Mini Suimei-kun v.3.” 

“D-Damn it! You made more of them?!” 

“Uhuh.” 

“That’s nothing to be fucking proud of! Get rid of that thing right the hell now!” 

Suimei immediately tried to snatch the doll from Hydemary’s hands, but she skillfully twirled around to evade him. Felmenia couldn’t help perking up with curiosity at all the fuss. 

“Um, what exactly is that? It must be something quite unusual for Suimei-dono to be so flustered.” 

“This, you see, is a godly item capable of manipulating Suimei-kun however you’d like.” 

“Oh?! Please! Do tell me more!” 

“I’d really... really... like to play with it.” 

“Hmm, now that sounds amusing.” 

The moment they learned the true nature of the doll, the other girls swarmed Hydemary. They all probably wanted to play with the doll out of sheer curiosity, but Suimei wouldn’t stand for it. 

“Stop! Stooooop! Don’t you dare let them touch that thing! And you lot! Don’t swarm around it! Mary! Don’t you fucking touch it either!” 

“Do you mind if I see it first?” 

The first of the girls to step forward was Lefille, and Hydemary congenially handed over the doll. 

“Here you are.” 

“L-Lefi...” 

“Heh heh heh...” 

Lefille let out an eerie giggle... before swiftly handing the doll over to Suimei. 

“Lefille-san...?” 

“It’s immoral to make things like this, you know? The one being manipulated can’t resist at all.” 

“Ugh, I can’t believe it...” 

“Th-Thanks, Lefi.” 

“I mean, this kind of thing is somewhat personal to me...” 

“H-Hic... You’re my only ally, Lefi.” 

Suimei was moved to tears by Lefille’s kindness. As for the others who’d gotten a little excited... 

“I-I was also planning on handing it over to you, Suimei-dono!” 

“R-Right. I definitely... wasn’t planning on... toying around... with you, so...” 

“It’s too damn late to pretend now!” 

Suimei quipped back at them before stomping over to the phone to give Hatsumi’s parents a ring. Atop a small table was a nostalgic rotary phone from the olden days... Or not. It was really just a vintage-style digital phone. 

“Hey, um... It’s Suimei. I don’t really know what to say, but... I’m sorry for being out of touch for so long...” 

Once Suimei was on the phone, the girls behind him began talking amongst themselves. 

“That’s the object that uses technology to reproduce the technique of a long distance communication spell, right?” 

“Yup, that’s right. You know about it?” 

“Suimei explained it... using his ‘sell-fone’... and Hatsumi’s ‘smart-fone.’” 

“We were apprised of the so-called technology available in this world. But... seeing the real thing certainly is mysterious. It emits no mana, yet Suimei-dono can speak with someone so far away...” 

While the other girls talked, Hatsumi timidly walked up to Suimei on the phone. 

“...Hey, are things okay?” 

“Yes, I’ll put her on now... Everything’s fine. Here.” 

There, Suimei handed the receiver over to Hatsumi. She looked troubled for a moment, as though words had completely left her. Her mind had gone completely blank on the spot. There were two or three words from the other side of the receiver before Hatsumi finally realized exactly what it was she needed to say. 

“Hey, mom? Yeah, it’s me. Sorry for worrying you... No, I’m doing okay. Yeah, I’ll come home right away.” 

After a brief exchange, Hatsumi hung up the phone and let out a big sigh like she’d just checked something major off of her to-do list 

“With this, you finally get some real relief, huh?” 

“We finally made it back and everything... I wonder why I still felt so guilty about it.” 

That, undoubtedly, was because she was Japanese. 

Leaving the visitors from another world behind with Hydemary in the Yakagi mansion, Suimei and Hatsumi headed next door to the Kuchiba residence. 

In this world, there existed a class of master swordsmen known as the Sword of Swords. They were acknowledged to be very summit of all sword wielders in the world of martial arts. 

The Swords were ranked from one to twelve, but each and every one of them was strong without exception. They were all so skilled in their craft that it was said the crown of the very strongest was within reach for all of them. They were the inheritors of unbelievable sword techniques, or those who had invented such techniques themselves. And when the brunt of these powers was brought to bear on the battlefield, they weren’t just unbelievable... They were capable of overturning common sense at its very roots, no matter the era. 

A slash to cut through metal was but the lowliest of skills to them. 

A range that wasn’t restricted to the length of their arms and blade. 

An ability to move across land at great speed using a technique called ground contraction. 

A roar of lightning that could cleave any enemy clean in two from top to bottom. 

A slashing wave that rent and crushed its target with the pure will to decapitate. 

An ability to control elevation using one’s posture and gait while soaring through the sky. 

A sword of exorcism capable of freezing an enemy using divine aura. 

A soundless blade capable of traversing shadows and sniping enemies. 

A phantom illusion that manifested the legends of all the world’s swords. 

No one, of course, knew these techniques officially. Just like magicka, such skill with a sword was so far beyond the norm that it had to be concealed from the general public. 

But Suimei’s very neighbor was one such swordsman: the fourth seat of the Sword of Swords from the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani school, Kuchiba Kiyoshiro, who was recognized as the strongest swordsman in Japan. 

“It’s nothing special. All I did was chase after my brother, and this was naturally what I achieved in the process.” 

Those were Kuchiba Kiyoshiro’s own words. It was the answer he’d once given Suimei when he asked how Kiyoshiro had come to be so strong. 

The brother Kiyoshiro spoke of was Suimei’s father, Yakagi Kazamitsu—the former head of the Yakagi family, a lineage of magicians of Society pedigree, who was heralded as the best magician in the Orient. He displayed prodigious power from a young age and went around the world suppressing mystical calamities and criminals alike. Even though he walked the path of righteousness, he was one of the mystics counted among the Greed of Ten. 

Chasing after such a man with nothing but a sword in hand was beyond reckless. But that was precisely how Kuchiba Kiyoshiro had staked his claim at the summit of all swordsmen. 

And it was that man—master swordsman Kuchiba Kiyoshiro—who sat before Suimei right now. He was casually dressed, seated upon a floor cushion with an arm propped atop one upright knee. He was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice, like his zeal was too much to contain. It made him seem rather like a young man who still had too much energy for his own good. 

But his behavior wasn’t the only thing that made him seem young. He was the father of a girl in her late teens, but his looks certainly didn’t betray that. At most, Kiyoshiro appeared to be in his late twenties, which really gave a sense of just how abnormal he was. To anyone who was none the wiser, he could easily pass for Hatsumi’s much older brother. 

Kiyoshiro, however, was actually well into his forties—just on the verge of taking his first steps into middle-age. He wasn’t a young man by any stretch of the imagination. He wore a jokester’s grin, but his eyes contained a dreadfulness befitting his years. His long, black hair was pulled back, clearly revealing the scar on his face. His body was slender, but packed with muscles. 

“Instructor, I see you’re just the same as always.” 

“Not that I could hold a candle to my brother in that regard.” 

That was the reply Suimei got upon greeting his uncle. Again, the brother Kiyoshiro referred to was Suimei’s father. Kiyoshiro had always looked up to and idolized Kazamitsu as an older brother, but it wasn’t until later in life when they both married—Suimei’s mother and Hatsumi’s mother being sisters—that they actually became brothers-in-law. 

When Suimei and Hatsumi arrived at the Kuchiba residence, Hatsumi’s parents were waiting for her at the door. Her mother warmly embraced her and her father cheekily ruffled her hair. After their initial reunion, Suimei and Hatsumi then followed Hatsumi’s parents into the Japanese-style guest room where they were now sitting across from each other. 

“Mmm, what a great smell.” 

Hatsumi sprawled herself on the tatami with a soft expression, joyfully taking in the nostalgic scent of the room. 

“It really is nice. So relaxing.” 

“Mhm.” 

“Oh, yeah. By the way, where’s Haseto?” 

“He’s out of town right now. Didn’t I mention that on the phone?” 

“I believe he’ll return tomorrow at the latest. He was quite worried about you, Hatsumi-san.” 

The supple voice that followed Kiyoshiro’s belonged to Yukio, Hatsumi’s mother. She both sounded and looked the part of a warrior’s wife. She wore traditional Japanese clothing and had long, black hair, but uncharacteristic of Japanese aesthetics, her beautiful face was accented with red eyeliner. She had a very similar aura to Hatsumi’s, though their personalities were rather different. 

In response to his wife, Kiyoshiro was no longer able to conceal his mischievous side. 

“I wasn’t worried at all, though.” 

“Oh? Then remind me who it was that went running around for help because his precious only daughter suddenly disappeared.” 

“Hey now...” 

Kiyoshiro’s bravado was countered with a reserved giggle. Yukio’s attitude was like a willow that warded away Kiyoshiro’s mischievousness. They’d always gotten along well in that regard. 

“Suimei, I got calls from your branch asking about you too, you know? Seems they investigated the entire area, but all traces of you suddenly vanished at some point. Everyone was on high alert for a couple of months.” 

“Aah...” 

Suimei hadn’t dared to ask Hydemary about it, but he’d more or less assumed that was the case. With one of HQ’s executive candidates caught up in some sort of incident, it wasn’t unreasonable to assume that the rest of the branch might be targeted too. Every Society magician in Japan had likely slept with one eye open until it was confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no lingering threat. 

But it was on the subject of Suimei that the loose and relaxed expression Kiyoshiro had taken on while chatting with his wife suddenly turned serious. 

“Well, before we continue... This means Hatsumi’s found out, no?” 

“Yeah. Like so,” Suimei said as he spread out his arm, pantomiming donning his suit. 

Seeing that gesture, Kiyoshiro let out a resigned sigh. 

“I see. Well, I did think it was about time to tell her... so I guess this sort of works out? I still feel kinda iffy about it, though.” 

“Isn’t it a little mean to have kept it a secret from me all this time?” 

Hatsumi, unlike her playful father, was clearly in a bad mood. The people she trusted most had intentionally hidden the fact that Suimei was a magician from her for years. She had every reason to be upset with her parents for keeping such a secret. She puffed out her soft-looking cheeks and threw a sulky look Kiyoshiro and Yukio’s way. 

It was childish of Hatsumi to act like this, but now that she was back home, she was nothing more than a child in front of her parents. Kiyoshiro looked at his daughter’s adorable pouting face and strained a smile. 

“Don’t be like that,” he said before turning back to Suimei. “So? What kinda nuisance did you get caught in this time?” 

“About that... It’s a kinda crazy story, but...” 

With that preamble, Suimei went on to explain what happened in the other world to Kiyoshiro and Yukio. About how he was summoned, how he’d fought monsters, and how he was reunited with Hatsumi. Hatsumi’s parents, naturally enough, furrowed their brows as they listened to all this. 

“...This is awfully difficult to believe,” Kiyoshiro said incredulously. 

“Everything Suimei said is true,” Hatsumi immediately interjected. 

“Well, this is Suimei-san. In a sense, I do believe that anything is possible.” 

“I’m surprised you can accept it so easily, Yuki.” 

“Is it really that surprising? This is hardly anything compared to Kazamitsu-san, no? Come now. Remember that one time? Back when we saw him go upstream in time?” 

“Aaah, yeah... That did happen, didn’t it?” 

“...” 

“...” 

Kiyoshiro and Yukio began talking about some of the mysterious happenings they’d experienced after getting involved with Kazamitsu—and they ultimately came to the conclusion that Suimei’s antics didn’t hold a candle to his father’s. Suimei and Hatsumi were both at an astonished loss for words. Just what kind of ridiculous things had their parents been through that being summoned to another world didn’t seem like all that big a deal? 

Suimei and Hatsumi looked at each other. They were now the ones with furrowed brows, reversing the earlier situation with Hatsumi’s parents. 

“Good grief. My brother generally ignored all common sense, but I guess you’re perpetrating some pretty crazy stuff too.” 

“No, I mean, this wasn’t my fault. I didn’t perpetrate anything.” 

Resenting being mislabeled as the responsible party, Suimei rose to his feet and objected, but Kiyoshiro and Yukio merely exchanged knowing looks. 

“But you know...” Kiyoshiro muttered. 

“Right?” Yukio giggled. 

“Y-You too, Yukio-san...?” Suimei despaired. 

“This is your own fault, you know, Suimei? You always jump headlong into any trouble that comes your way,” Hatsumi retorted. 

“Ugh...” 

Suimei couldn’t argue there. That was indeed often how things turned out whenever he was forced to stick his nose into them. But this time, really and truly, Suimei was a victim. He was summoned to another world completely against his will. Moreover, since he’d actually figured out a way to get home, a little praise wouldn’t have been unjustified. 

“Regardless, Hatsumi also got caught up in the summoning. It would’ve been a huge problem for us if you weren’t there with her. Thank you.” 

“It was nothing...” 

As though he’d read Suimei’s mind, Kiyoshiro corrected his posture and bowed his head. Suimei was a little embarrassed to have his own uncle thank him so earnestly and formally, but Kiyoshiro soon raised his head with a skeptic grin on his face. 

“...You’re really not lying, right?” 

“Do you think I’d lie to you with such a straight face?” 

“Well, fair. But your story really is quite out there.” 

Anyone would be suspect of a story about traveling to another world and back, but what could Suimei do to make someone believe him? Or, at the least, make it easier for someone to believe him? This was no different than trying to tell Kiyoshiro he’d been spirited away. Was there even a reasonable comparison that would work as an analogue? 

In that regard, Suimei had one advantage. Kiyoshiro had worked with Kazamitsu, a talented magician, so he wasn’t completely oblivious to the ways of magicka. 

“You know how some people say there are worlds on the other side of the astral plane? It’s a little offbeat, but it isn’t entirely impossible. I think it’s within the realm of reason for there to be other livable worlds among all those extreme cases like Mars, Venus, Hell, and other such planes.” 

“Hmm... Well, when you put it like that...” 

Suimei managed to frame things in a somewhat more understandable fashion. Kiyoshiro was still grimacing, but it seemed the only way to convince him past this would be to take him to the other world personally. 

After groaning for a bit, Kiyoshiro suddenly changed the topic. 

“By the way, was it just the two of you who came back?” 

“My other friends who were summoned said they’d stay behind, so they’re still there. Aside from that, we brought back three others with us.” 

For some reason, upon hearing Suimei’s answer, Kiyoshiro flashed a somewhat filthy grin his way. 

“Say...” 

“Yes?” 

“These ‘others’ you brought back... They’re all girls, right?” 

Hearing Kiyoshiro’s question, Yukio elegantly lifted her hand to her mouth as she giggled. Suimei, meanwhile, was completely baffled. 

“How did you know that?” 

“Well, you are my brother’s son. This is no surprise.” 

“That doesn’t explain anything, though...” 

“But of course. What else would we expect of Kazamitsu-san’s son?” 

It seemed there was no deterring Hatsumi’s parents. Suimei looked to his side for sympathy, but Hatsumi returned his pleading look with a reproachful gaze. 

Just what were they basing all this on? Suimei couldn’t help but wonder nervously. 

After that, Suimei discussed bringing Lefille to the dojo the following day with Kiyoshiro before finally returning home to the Yakagi estate and his guests from another world. 

“Now... I wonder what those three are up to.” 

Suimei was presently walking back alone, looking up at the stars and muttering to himself. After escorting Hatsumi home and explaining things to her parents, one of his primary concerns was now resolved and a sense of relief spread through his chest. 

There were still plenty of other places he had to go, and plenty more explaining he had to do while keeping everything consistent. Depending on the person he was explaining things to, he might even have to use magicka to forcefully alleviate their anxieties. But things had turned out fine in Hatsumi’s case, which lightened the load on Suimei’s shoulders considerably. 

As such, he began humming and arrived home with a skip in his step. He opened the door and headed to the living room, where he found Liliana glued to the television. 

“Penguin...” 

Her usually calm voice was unable to hide her excitement as she stared into the bright screen, her lone eye sparkling. It seemed a program about animals was on. Lately there had been a lot of animal-centric shows airing in the primetime slot, so the girls had likely come across it while flipping through the channels. 

“Seal...” 

It turned out that the show wasn’t an animal special per se, but a documentary on the differences between the North and South Poles. As part of the larger picture, they were showcasing the animals that inhabited each region. 

“Polar bear...” 

Each was a species Liliana had never seen in her world. It was entirely possible they similarly existed at the extreme poles of the planet there, but they certainly weren’t anything someone would come across during the course of their everyday life. 

The program on television eventually shifted from animals to something else, but Liliana didn’t show any sort of lingering regret over this. 

“So white... and fluffy... Oh-so fluffy.” 

She moved her hands in the air like she was imagining petting the penguins and seals. Rather than saying she was merely intoxicated, it would be more accurate to say that she was dead drunk on cuteness. She had been exposed to too much of it all at once, and it had blown the circuits in her brain. Liliana kept muttering “fluffy this” and “fluffy that” to herself before letting out a deflating sigh and falling back on the sofa in agony. 

Meanwhile, Felmenia and Lefille were both still watching the screen and discussing the documentary. 

“Hmm... Everything there is completely frozen in ice. This manner of scenery didn’t exist even in Noshias.” 

“W-Wha— That block of frozen land is crumbling away! And on such a massive scale...” 

“It’s quite majestic, isn’t it?” 

“Indeed...” 

As he listened in on their conversation, Suimei called out to Hydemary, who was repositioning her dolls. 

“Hey, did they ask about the tiny people in the box?” 

“That’s just too cliché, Suimei-kun. There’s no way anybody would actually say something like that.” 

That’s what Suimei had thought too, but it was such a staple joke that he kind of wanted to hear someone say it. However, the intelligent girls he’d brought to this world didn’t have such primitive imaginations. 

“Even we know that this is some sort of device capable of projecting images from far away. It is, however, rather surprising that these images can be recorded and projected so vividly.” 

“Telephones, air conditioning, and lighting that doesn’t require mana. At a glance, there are so many other strange devices here that I can’t even begin to guess what they’re used for... You did warn us about this beforehand, Suimei-kun, but I didn’t think it would be to this extent.” 

“Indeed. This world is incredible.” 

Lefille and Felmenia groaned with an expression of both wonder and awe. 

“You’re really going to get your mind blown if this is all it takes to surprise you. There’s way more outrageous stuff out there than all of this.” 

“...” 

“...” 

The girls had yet to see cars and trains, for example. They were common enough sights in modern Japan—the general populace used them on the regular. The same was true of television, but considering the compounding technological marvels the girls would be faced with going out into the city... They were in for the shock of their lives. 

“Where’s Lady Hatsumi?” 

“Aah, she’ll be spending some quality time with her parents today. It’s been a while since she’s been home and all.” 

“I see. That’s good.” 

The functional older sister of the group gave a satisfied nod. Lefille had lost her own family, so she understood full well the significance of Hatsumi’s reunion with hers. She was happy for her. 

Suimei glanced over at the sofa, where Liliana was still rolling about in a ball in her own little world. 

“Liliana? Hellooooo?” 

When Suimei called out to her, she shot upright with a beaming smile. 

“The fluff, Suimei! So much fluff!” 

“R-Right...” 

“Will I... be able... to see them again?” 

“Hmm, if we could record it, then yeah... But I’m bound to screw that up.” 

“I’m a genius, but homunculi are mystical in nature, so I won’t be any help either. The appliances in Suimei-kun’s house are magickally treated so I can just barely manage here, but... What about the internet, Suimei-kun?” 

“Not happening. The moment I touch a computer, the screen goes blue.” 

Whenever Suimei touched any sort of advanced electronic, it would immediately start misbehaving. You see, those whose bodies are steeped in the mysteries have something of an adverse effect on scientific laws. 

Simple appliances posed no issue. But as devices grew more complex—like computers—they would break down on the spot. Suimei had personally destroyed many a computer at school in this fashion. He was at the point where even touching the power button was out of the question. He was effectively traumatized. 

In any case, upon hearing that she wouldn’t be able to see more cute animals, Liliana hung her head low in disappointment. 

“I... see...” 

“Don’t be like that. If you really want to see them, we can ask Hatsumi to get on a computer and show you some.” 

“You mean I can... see the fluffies again?!” 

Liliana triumphantly thrust both her arms in the air. Seeing her innocent behavior, however, suddenly reminded Suimei of something else entirely. Speaking of fluffies, he had some fluffy business to tend to himself. 

“...Oops, crap. I almost completely forgot.” 

Suimei flew over to the veranda in a fluster and threw open the glass door. This wasn’t, mind you, because he needed some fresh air. He pulled a small bell out of nowhere and lightly jangled it outside, letting its delicate chime echo into the night. Lefille watched him do this with a curious look, her head quizzically cocked to the side. 

“What’s that?” she asked. 

“It’s the bunny courier, right?” Hydemary asked in turn. 

“Yeah. I wrote a bunch of letters before coming back, so I figure I ought to send them all out,” Suimei replied. 

There were many magicians who despised the conveniences of modern civilization and strictly refrained from using them. And it wasn’t just magicians who refused to have landlines installed in their homes; there were even magicians who sequestered themselves in the mountains as far away from civilization as possible. To accommodate them, there existed a group of specialists in communication known as couriers. After ringing the designated summoning bell, a courier would appear and deliver mail to any recipient regardless of location... That is, of course, except in another world. 

Before long, jingling chimes like Santa’s sleigh bells could be heard drawing nearer. When the jingling came to a halt, the thicket in the garden outside began rustling and trembling as though a small animal was hiding within. 

“Huh?” 

“That’s...” 

The first to show surprise at this turn of events were Felmenia and Liliana. They were likely bewildered at the sudden appearance of something without sensing any magicka at play. 

Eventually, a lone girl hopped out of the thicket like a hare. She wore baggy red trousers with suspenders and a white shirt. She carried a red, jam-packed bag slung across her body that was the very picture of a mailbag. She also donned a red hat with adorable fake rabbit ears poking out of it. 

She was only a little taller than Liliana, and by all appearances, she was a healthy-looking Asian girl. She had a short wand hanging at her waist with several small, green pom-poms dangling from it. After coming up to the veranda, she politely bowed to Suimei. 

“Hey there. Sorry for being out of touch,” he said. 

At that, the courier puffed out her soft cheeks and began adorably berating him. 

“Long time no see, Suimei-san! Where exactly have you been all this time?! I’ve got heaps on loads on mountains of letters addressed to you, you know?!” 

“Sorry, my bad. I just got caught up in something a little weird.” 

Upon hearing his excuse, the courier... 

“Oooh!” 

“Now listen here: I said I got caught up in something, not that I caused it.” 

The girl seemed to guess what had happened, and Suimei narrowed his eyes at her. The girl, however, paid him no mind and let out a heavy sigh. 

“I mean, it’s just more of the usual, right?” 

“Mm. Just the usual,” Hydemary added. 

“Thanks for... your hard work.” 

Liliana’s thanks were obviously not directed at Suimei, and she clearly wasn’t alone in the sentiment. Everyone else was nodding in agreement. 

“Why are you all ganging up on me?” 

“I mean, come on.” 

“Because you’re you... Suimei.” 

Neither Hydemary nor Liliana showed any mercy. 

Ignoring them for now, Suimei handed his outgoing letters over to the courier. As he did, the courier prepared to hand him his incoming mail. She recited a chant and letters came pouring out of her red bag with enough force that it was reminiscent of a certain cat-shaped robot’s special pocket in action. 

“Ugh, that’s a lot.” 

“It’s half a year’s worth... Well, sort of. There were just a bunch of people who thought they should at least write when you suddenly vanished. Speaking of, where have you been all this time, Suimei-san?” 

“Er, well, you know...” 

“Actually, these girls are all dressed pretty strange... Is this what you’re into, maybe?” 

“No! God... Hey, there’s even an enforcement request in here?” 

“Oh, that’s a case that was designated for you. It seems the others weren’t able to handle it, so I was asked to turn it over to you.” 

“When was this?” 

“Hmm... About two months ago?” 

“Is that really alright?” 

“I guess they’re not in a rush?” 

“Meaning it’s a case that can’t cause the Thousand Nights Association much harm...” 

“Yup.” 

The Thousand Nights Association was the body that oversaw the world’s magicka organizations. Their supervision was to ensure that the mysteries remained out of the public eye, but the Association also doubled as a mediator between other organizations. 

Enforcement requests were sent to deal with things like magickal crimes perpetrated by magicians, beasts of the apocalypse outbreaks, and localized mystical phenomena or calamities. They were all important jobs where an individual organization couldn’t handle them alone. 

But apparently, this request wasn’t terribly time-sensitive. That meant it didn’t have a direct impact on the Thousand Nights Association, or perhaps that the risk of the mysteries being exposed was exceedingly low. 

The fact that the Association had sent a request to an Enforcer whose whereabouts were completely unknown likely meant that, even in the worst case, whatever threat needed to be tended to wasn’t urgent. It would probably even be fine left at large... meaning there was fundamentally no way it was something that only Suimei could handle. 

Suimei opened the expensive-looking little box and pulled out a black envelope sealed with rose red wax. He used counter magicka to undo the high-level spell that kept it shut and pulled out the enclosed letter. It was a request for the arrest, sealing, or elimination of a particular magician. 

“Suimei-kun, what’s that?” Lefille asked. 

“Oh, it’s a job that’s been entrusted to me. There’s something like a council that oversees all of the magicka organizations, and once they confirm there’s a criminal that needs to be dealt with, they send out requests like this.” 

Hearing this, Felmenia cocked her head to the side. 

“Can’t the council go catch the criminals themselves? Certainly that should be possible without passing the job on to another party so long as they made the appropriate preparations...” 

Lefille and Liliana looked to Suimei as though they shared the same question. 

“Of course there are jobs they handle themselves sometimes. But seeing as they’re fundamentally a supervisory organization, they aren’t a particularly large group. They don’t have enough people as it is, so it’s difficult for them to train up their own personnel or scout other organizations for the right person for the job.” 

“So you mean to say there aren’t all that many magicians with the appropriate skill set?” 

“That’s the short of it.” 

Having “the appropriate skill set” was a rather tall order. A magician’s abilities were deeply entwined with both their inherent talent and the effort they’d put into their craft, and an Enforcer wasn’t something someone could simply become with enough training. Finding a sprout with the right aptitudes was like hitting the jackpot. As for already-trained magicians, scouting people from other organizations required the consent of both the magician in question and the organization they belonged to. That left the Association little choice but to rely on others for help, as they did now with Suimei.

The Magicka Bureau of the Thousand Nights Association hereby issues the following job to the Society’s eighth seat, Enforcer Yakagi Suimei. 

The target is ———. It has only been a short time since they made their way into the world, but take heed that their skills are grand class. The threat level of this request has been escalated from B to A accordingly. The target is to be taken dead or alive. 

Bear in mind the target’s specialties are barrier and restraint magicka. Items relevant to the case are enclosed within. We hope that you make good use of them. 

Additional details regarding the target can be found below... 

Suimei scanned the contents of the request and began mumbling to himself. 

“Threat level A, dead or alive... They’re not kidding around here. This is really something.” 

The one to show further interest in the matter was Hydemary, who was personally quite familiar with enforcement requests. 

“You don’t say?” 

“Huh? Yeah...” 

“What’s the matter? You don’t seem quite yourself.” 

“No, it’s nothing.” 

Hydemary innocently drew closer, and Suimei looked a bit uneasy as he swiftly turned his attention back to the box. 

“They included... Wait, what?!” 

Inside the box was a transparent baggy that contained what looked like several blue pills. 

“There’re drugs involved this time?! Just how lax is the Thousand Nights Association being by not treating this as a god damn emergency?!” 

If drugs were involved, there was an inherent danger that the threat could spread among junkies... meaning the ones to suffer would be normal people who had nothing to do with magicka. Magicians could take whatever they pleased—they had magickal ways of dealing with side effects and even addiction. But normal people weren’t so lucky, which was precisely why mystical crimes involving drugs were typically considered extremely dangerous. 

Hydemary tilted her head to the side, her black hair swishing behind her. 

“Does that mean there’s no danger of this one spreading to the public?” 

“Maybe it’s not addictive.” 

“Or maybe it’s the kind of drug that kills you outright.” 

Anyone taking magickal drugs without the proper resistance would be left crippled at best, and the withdrawal symptoms could be—quite literally—killer. Hydemary was brimming with curiosity about the pills and leaned in to take a closer look. 

“Can I taste one?” 

“Don’t go putting things in your mouth just ’cause they look like candy.” 

“No? I think we’d be able to learn quite a bit if I gave it a lick.” 

“Even so, the answer’s still no.” 

“Suimei-kun... you’re unexpectedly overprotective.” 

“There’s nothing unexpected or overprotective about it, damn it! Seriously...” 

Even if Hydemary was a homunculus and therefore not exactly human, there was no guarantee the drugs would have no effect on her—which was precisely why Suimei wasn’t going to let her taste anything. 

“I think it’d be fine, though... Have you seen this before?” Hydemary turned to the courier and asked. 

“Nope.” 

“Is the Holy Inquisition on the move?” 

“I don’t think so. This is completely within the Thousand Nights Association’s court.” 

The courier’s rabbit ears twitched as she replied, and she soon found Liliana drawing closer. 

“Ears...” 

“Huh?” 

“Your ears... moved.” 

She was looking at the courier’s outfit with the same twinkle in her eye she’d had when she was watching the animals on television. The heavy atmosphere lingering from the serious conversation before was completely blown away by her delighted tone. 

“Can I... touch your ears?” 

“Huh? Oh, sure. But just a little.” 

The courier bent over to make it easier for Liliana to reach her fake rabbit ears. 

“Want to become a courier too? If you act now, we can throw in the bunny ears as a bonus, you know?” 

“I’m... a little interested...” 

“Hey, don’t recruit my disciple!” 

“Your disciple...? Oh! So the rumor that you only take on cute girls as disciples really is true, huh, Suimei-san?” 

“Like hell it is! It’s just a coincidence! A coincidence, I tell you!” 

“I’m kidding. I was just joking around.” 

The courier giggled, and Suimei let out an exhausted sigh. 

“You’ll sigh away all your happiness like that, you know, Suimei-san?” 

“If you could really sigh away happiness, I’d be long dead from misery by now... Anyways, take care of those letters for me. You’re okay with Japanese yen for the tip, right?” 

“Yup.” 

“Here’s your fee, plus a little extra for the trouble.” 

The courier held out both hands like a child demanding their allowance, and Suimei handed over a generous stack of bills. He couldn’t afford to be stingy here. That wasn’t to say a tight wallet would mean his letters would get lost or anything, however; couriers were not such a fickle lot. It was simply a matter of stressing trust in a working relationship. 

“I’m leaving those letters to you.” 

“I’ll be sure to deliver them.” 

The courier took a grandiose bow, and after hopping over the fence in one bound, she vanished upon touching the ground.