Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: 5. Mana Recharge (5)
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The water-colored umbrella that had somehow ended up in my hand naturally vanished as time passed.
It was just like water stains soaking into the dirt on a summer day, disappearing without a trace after a brief moment.
The dark clouds that had gathered in an instant cleared away, and soon the familiar sunlight began shining before my eyes.
The paralyzed road was the same.
The tangled, halted vehicles started creaking back into motion, one by one.
Thanks to someone in the distance diligently directing traffic with hand signals.
The people who had frozen in front of the monster now hurriedly tapped away at their smartphones as they walked.
The clicking of camera shutters began echoing from here and there.
"…Hmm."
And that was it.
Perhaps because it was such an obvious display of magic that no one could mistake it for anything else, there wasn't much panic.
They just accepted it like, 'Oh, this must be that thing I saw on YouTube!' snapped a few commemorative photos, and went back to their daily lives.
I wasn't much different, so I caught my breath briefly and headed straight to Neria's apartment next door.
—Ding-dong.
If I had Erzel's contact info, I would've at least sent a thank-you message.
It was a shame we'd parted ways after nothing but cheeky sexual harassment.
Maybe I should just have Neria pass along my thanks...
...No. Knowing her personality, she'd hate it and accuse me of using her like a personal messenger.
But staying completely silent pricked at my conscience.
Guess I'll just tell her next time we bump into each other by chance.
As I reached that conclusion, the front door opened right on cue.
"...You're back?"
"Good morning, Neria."
Peeking out her head was Neria, looking just as she always did.
Her cheeks flushed from eating well and living comfortably, wearing her usual pitch-black tracksuit top today as well.
If there was anything special, it was that she hadn't zipped up the tracksuit today.
My gaze swept over the shadow beneath Neria's prominently bulging breasts before I pulled it away.
Well, it probably wasn't some sudden whim.
Maybe it was because today was the day she was letting me touch her breasts.
I didn't think too deeply about it.
"Looks like you didn't get hurt, at least?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
"I saw the emergency alert, so I figured I'd ask. ...She didn't contact you?"
"...You're right."
"She always makes such a racket while I'm gaming..."
Fair enough. To a witch who doesn't need warnings, it's just occasional annoying noise.
For a human, it'd be like the sound of the neighbors moving.
I stepped inside while lost in such idle thoughts.
"...Anyway, no helping it."
"...?"
At that moment, Neria muttered to herself with both fists planted firmly on her hips.
I wanted to ask her to move aside so I could pass, but the atmosphere was off, so I held back.
I just carefully closed the open front door and tilted my head.
Maybe finding me frustrating, Neria cleared her throat with a fist to her mouth and added an explanation.
"No helping it. Yeah. It's unavoidably unavoidable."
But her follow-up words were just as incomprehensible.
I wondered if my reading comprehension had failed me, but even rereading it mentally, I still didn't get it.
Plus, Korean was one of those subjects that guaranteed me over 90 points in school without studying.
The odds of it being my fault were low...
The one far more likely culprit was Neria, standing there all haughty.
"Um, Neria?"
"Yeah."
"Could I ask what you're talking about?"
"...Huh?"
When I asked her directly, her narrowed eyes shot me a 'what the hell?' look.
"What do you mean, what am I talking about? You ran into that monster just now, right? It was right around your usual arrival time."
"Yes, it was."
"Then you must've seen the rain pouring from the sky too. No way you missed that?"
"I-I saw it."
"That it wasn't normal rain, but turned the monster into a soggy ice cream cone?"
"...I was close to the monster at the time, so yes, I saw."
"What. You saw everything. So why ask?"
"...?"
Now that I thought about it, it was definitely weird.
Neria, who was surely gaming at the time, knew the details far too well.
I could force a guess that, being a witch, she'd used some spell to watch the scene from start to finish.
But the simpler, more natural explanation was...
"Wait, you thought that shower just now was Master's magic?"
"..."
If the downpour I'd seen was Neria's magic...
It all fit perfectly.
"Hey, Nam Dowon. Master's way stronger than me. How do you mix those up?"
"S-Sorry. I'm still not familiar with magic levels or... that sort of thing..."
"Plus, in this era, I'm the only Water Witch who mainly handles annoying rain control. It's my 'personal' specialty, impossible to confuse... Damn."
"That's... because I don't know much about magic either, so..."
"Fine! I get it! How's a mere human supposed to know? It could happen! I never explained it specially anyway!"
"..."
Her words were sharp, but her tone showed she understood.
Still, her mood wasn't cooperating, and she grumbled with that nuance.
Before I knew it, she'd crossed her arms under her chest and was glaring at me, continuing in a slightly sulky voice.
"...I was thinking of trying sex anyway, now that I've used up some mana..."
Sulky, so softly.
So faintly even I, standing right in front of her, could barely hear it.
Tiny.
"Forget sex. The mana I used today? It'll recharge in two years. Three at most. Yeah. No no no..."
"Neria..."
"Yeah, absolutely not. I didn't really want to anyway. I just thought maybe since the timing lined up."
"Ah..."
God, please.
Don't let this chance slip away so pointlessly...
While that thought flashed through my mind, blaming myself could wait—fixing Neria's thoroughly piqued mood was the priority.
More than sex today, letting our built-up relationship over days crumble would be a real disaster.
Having struggled with sulky Neria before, I spat out words that might soothe her ears first.
"I'm sorry, Neria. ...I just thought the magic was so flashy, so I naturally assumed it was Erzel's..."
"...Hmph."
She snorted in response to my blatant flattery.
But thankfully, she didn't immediately turn and storm back to her room.
...Whatever the reason, she at least wanted to hear me out.
Relieved at that small mercy, I finally took off my shoes.
"Besides, you handle mana so preciously, Neria. I couldn't imagine you unleashing such a flashy grand spell."
"...It wasn't even a grand spell. Just a regular hit with a bit of sincerity."
"You didn't just make a downpour—you gave umbrellas to everyone there too."
"...N-No big deal. If it'd flooded the whole neighborhood, maybe, but it was just tweaking some nearby water."
"It felt too flashy to call no big deal..."
"...It's normal. Water Witches have a bit of fame. The magic's pretty too. And Master only took three apprentices including me."
"I see."
"Some families have nearly twenty with the same surname. Heka's pretty elite."
"Ah, got it..."
Was my flattery working a bit?
Hard to say for sure.
She didn't look upset anymore, but it wasn't fully resolved either—kinda ambiguous...
Well, if her mood swung wildly, I'd suspect bipolar first.
This was thankful enough.
So, should I keep apologizing endlessly?
Or shut up and observe...
As a headache loomed from work overload,
"...Huh?"
Neria's smartphone vibrated in her tracksuit pocket.
My eyes flicked toward it.
"...Hello, Master?"
— Oh, my Neria. I just heard the news. A sudden downpour wiped out the monster, they say.
"Ah..."
— Looks like you used magic after a long time?
"...Yes. It was right in front of our place, so..."
— Right in front of your place?
"...Yes."
— Hmm~...
It was Erzel's voice.
And with it, Neria glancing at me warily while mashing the volume buttons on her phone.
Hard to tell if she was trying to lower or raise it since I couldn't see well, but
Erzel's next words made it crystal clear which.
— Honestly, it was perfect timing for an excuse to have sex—a convenient monster showed up...
She'd been trying to raise it.
...Judging by how Neria freaked and hung up.
"......"
"......"
Seemingly amused, Erzel called back almost immediately.
"...Hello."
Instead of dodging, Neria politely answered and fiddled with the volume again.
This time, probably lowering it for real.
At the same time, she nudged my body with her foot—telling me to back off and not eavesdrop.
I wanted to hear more of their master-apprentice talk, but sadly, Neria was closer than Erzel right now.
Better to obey if I didn't want trouble.
I let her push me aside meekly and stood facing the wall while I was at it.
Hoping it'd help soothe her mood a bit.
"Hey. Nam Dowon."
About five seconds later.
Neria approached and thrust her smartphone at me.
"Take it. Master wants to talk to you."
"......"
"Hurry."
"...A-Alright."
Her cheeks, which had been fine five seconds ago, were now burning bright red.
...Even the tips of her fingers handing me the phone trembled faintly.
I couldn't bring myself to ask what was wrong.
"I've handed the phone over. Erzel."
— Oh, Dowon. Long time no hear. Doing well?
"Yes. Thank you for your concern."
— Hehe. Even your voice is handsome—makes me feel good..., Anyway, no big reason, but I have homework for you~
"Homework... you say?"
Thankfully, I didn't need to ask Neria for the reason anymore.
— Since I'm planning to check Neria's hymen myself later, make sure you thoroughly damage it this time?
"......"
Even with Neria sighing loudly beside me.
Clear enough to catch every word without missing a letter.
Click by click.
Erzel explained it herself.