Watashi wa Teki ni Narimasen! - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

As if he could no longer maintain the power to fly, the old magician floated back towards the ground . Then another arrow caught him in the back .

“What!?”

I couldn’t immediately understand what was happening .

A third arrow was let loose .

This one would have pierced into the old magician’s head, had Cain not blocked it with his sword . Still, when the old magician did fall limply to the ground, it was clear that he was already dying .

I saw a rider disappear into the distance . As it was only a single knight, maybe they had anticipated something like this happening and had been monitoring him .

“They want to silence me… Hehe . ”

The old magician realized it too .

Cain quickly sent five knights to go and chase after the person who had shot the arrows .

I didn’t know what to do, so I kneeled down next to the old man .

“Are-are you okay?”
“Do I look okay?”

He replied sarcastically to my question .

The magician laughed .

“And with this…my life is ended . And I had so much left to do…”

The old magician mumbled and closed his eyes before opening them again and looking up at me .

“You, you want to become a magician? You think that you have what it takes?”

“I can . I happen to know that I can become a magician . ”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“I know of…a future that might have become a reality . And in that future, Everal is attacked after the prince’s arrival . I was there controlling dirt puppets . ”

No one else but the old magician and Cain was here, so I was able to tell the truth . That was fine, but I was sure that he would mock me for it . He would say that I was mistaking fantasy for reality . But he did not .

“Knowledge of the future, dirt puppets…hehe . I see . I quite like that . It’s ambitious . ”

After hearing my answer, he had a faraway look in his eyes for a moment . Then he looked at me again and asked:

“If you would try to achieve a certain wish of mine, then I would not mind making the magicians contract . With you as my apprentice . ”

What, really?

I was surprised, but it didn’t seem likely that this dying magician would lie to me .

“What wish is that?”

“…Just as you would breathe life into a dirt doll, I want you to try and trap my soul into one of them . It would not matter if you failed, I am going to die anyway . But if you succeed, my soul will be able to live on for much longer… I do not want to die now . If you would try it, I will agree to your request . After all, if I have already died once, then the bindings between master and apprentice won’t have much force . Hehehe . ”

I see .

This old man had stared at me while fleeing the last time we met . Perhaps even then he was considering the possibility of using me to prolong his life after becoming a magician .

Even now, he would negotiate with me just for a chance at staying in this world a while longer .

But this was most advantageous for me .

It was highly unlikely that there was another magician who would agree to be my master in this desperate situation . And it was as he said, I would not have any strange limitations put on me, as he was already dying .

“I agree then . But don’t expect me to succeed . ”

“Kiara…”

I didn’t hesitate to take him up on the offer, but Cain tried to stop me with a troubled expression . But I shook my head to the side .

“I will be able to fulfill my original purpose through this . I can’t let this opportunity pass me by . ”

“Hehe . The young should follow their impulses . Quickly, give me the contract stone…that red stone . ”

The old magician points at the pendant I was carrying .

So this was the contract stone after all .

Is that why the Princess of Thorns said I was not to use anything else? Had she predicted this would happen?

I removed the stone from the pendant and placed it in the hand of the magician, who was now too weak to even lift it . His fingers wrapped around it .

There was a small cracking sound, and when the finger opened again, there was now a small shard broken off . It was about one-tenth of the size of the stone .

“Usually, it would be split 3:7 due to the stress it would cause to the apprentice . But this is all an old dying man can muster . You must deal with the rest… Put the small piece into my mouth and then immediately swallow the other piece . ”

I nod and pick up the two pieces .

Perhaps I was nervous because my fingers were shaking .

Still, I pushed the shard into the old magician’s mouth . It looked like he was able to swallow it . And so I too swallowed my piece .

Once it was in my mouth, it seemed to turn into liquid and flow down my throat without scratching me .

I could feel it spreading, down my throat, my lungs, my heart . It traveled through my veins, reaching every organ and eventually my entire body…

“…!”

From within, I feel a strange sensation mixed with pain, as if I had just swallowed the blazing sun .

It was an invasive feeling, something was piercing ever cell in my body with needles .

I could tell that I was rolling on the ground and screaming, but it all felt so far away . Like it was happening to somebody else .

I don’t know how long this continued, but eventually, the pain and the heat began settling into my body .

In the corner of my mind, I could sense the unpleasant sensations of my body breaking down like liquid before returning .

The reason that failed magicians turned into sand was probably because they could not return after that point . That must have been why they would turn wild when near death…they were feeling such unbearable pain .

Sometimes, it felt like my body too was unable to return completely .

Every time that happened, another opposing force would appear as if by someone’s command, in order to stop the attack, and my power to return would recover .

This was likely my master helping me .

Eventually, I felt as if the heat was being omitted from my body, I felt sweat start to pour… And then I woke up .

“Miss Kiara, Kiara!?”

Before I knew it, Cain was holding me up and calling to me .

His face had gone completely pale, but he relaxed when he saw me open my eyes and blink . He had been so worried . I felt bad for causing him such distress .

“How are you?”

“…I am fine . I am alive…I think . ”

I managed to answer as I looked down at my body and moved my fingers .

I was fine . Nothing had turned into sand . But I still felt numb, as if I was moving a body that was not mine . It was a strange feeling .

It was as if my body had changed–just imagining it made a chill go down my spine .

I think that I was able to become a magician . But were magicians the same creatures as humans? What if I was now something completely different…

But there was no point in dwelling on it now .

I was able to move my body, so I thank Cain and pulled myself up .

As I moved, the strange sensations began to fade away, as did the unease inside of my heart . I sighed with relief .

And right beside me now, was the old magician .

But his breathing had become very short; as if they would stop at any moment .

“…Just as you said, you were able to become a magician, eh? Hehe . ”

He laughed through his hoarse voice . I nodded .

“How do I use magic?”

The next thing I needed to do, was to keep my promise with him .

“You…said that you can make dirt dolls . Then…put your hands on the ground and imagine it . Gather together the power from the dirt…it is the same power that is within you…and shape it . ”

He was no longer able to speak without pausing . His eyes seemed to no longer see .

…He must have used the last of his powers in making the contract .

I put my palms on the ground in order to do as he said, but then I remembered something .

“By the way, may I ask the name of the man who will be my master?”

It seemed unlikely that I would be able to call his soul if I didn’t know his name .

And so the old magician told me .

“Horace . ”

After that, he stopped blinking . A moment later, the ends of his body began to slowly crumble into sand .

…So magicians did turn into sand when they die .

“Miss Kiara, the magician…”

“Yes, I’ll hurry . ”

I closed my eyes and searched for a power inside of the ground that was the same as the one I could feel within me .

“However, perhaps you do not have to fulfill your promise now?”

Cain seemed to be of the opinion that we should just leave the old magician here . That indeed was an option . But I did not want to do that .

“I want to keep my promise . After all, he had used the final moments of his life to help me . ”

It was through that that I was now able to help Reggie and the others . I wanted to return the favor .

I concentrated . This was my first time doing this, and there was no one to lead me on any further .

I remember the words that he told me as I try and fail . But eventually, I manage to detect a warmth that is the same as the one I can feel inside of me .

Now to form this… Suddenly I had to wonder, ‘what shape should this dirt doll have?’

Usually, they would be giant golems inside of games .

But considering an old magician named Horace would live inside of it, that would be too big . But if I was to make it smaller, I could only think of something like legos .

I don’t know, I think maybe something that I could hold with my two hands would be the best .

And if we are to talk together, then he would need eyes and a mouth as well .

With all of that taken into consideration, the shape I settled on was an earthen figurine with an alien-like face . …Now that I think of it, Master Horace looked a little like an alien himself . This was quite perfect .

Oh, no . Perhaps that was too cruel and I should think of something else . As soon as I thought this, my concentration was severed .

“Ggg…”

When I opened my eyes, the earthen figurine was created .

It was just under thirty centimeters tall, which was a size that I could easily carry .

Not only that, but small grains of the red stone were now floating away from Old Horace, whose body was halfway turned to sand . The little red grains were being absorbed into the earthen figurine .

And in the next instant, it’s alien-like eyes glowed red .

“OOoo! So this is my new body!”

It was a voice that sounded like an echo from within an empty pot . Of course, it was the same voice as the old man next to me who was now completely turned into sand .

Uh…I was successful . But should I be happy about this?

I glanced over to Cain, but his expression was stiff . This was too strange, wasn’t it?

But Master Horace was now adeptly moving his arms and legs and seemed to be quite satisfied with the results .

The first thing that I thought after realizing that I had really succeeded, was that I should probably not show Master Horace…a mirror .

Translator:

Sorry about the long delay . Unfortunately, I’m not 100% sure I will be continuing this series for now . I haven’t decided to drop it outright, however, if anyone wants to translate it instead, especially if you can do timely releases, then you are more than welcome .