The Ancestor's Gift
While listening to Evelyn, the first thought that crossed my mind was whether she intended to enter my head. But as if she had read my expression, Evelyn gave me a look that said there was no need to worry.
“I can guess what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if I’m going to possess your body, right?”
“Yeah. To be specific, it’s like the possession cases where ghost-type monsters often cause trouble, or those stories about split personalities claiming there are two egos inside one person.”
“You have quite the imagination, don’t you? I’m actually curious about the latter now. Are there really people like that on the continent these days?”
“I’m not sure if they actually exist. I think I’ve seen a play with similar content, though…”
“Hmm. The conversation has drifted off track again. Sorry about that. It’s been so long since I’ve had a real talk with anyone.”
“It’s fine. If we’re being honest, it’s been a while for me too since I’ve had a proper conversation.”
“Sounds like you’ve had a rough time. All right, then. It’s better if we move things along quickly for your sake too. First, let me ask—you don’t live alone here, do you? The atmosphere of these belongings doesn’t match you at all for someone living by herself.”
“No, I have a roommate. But it looks like she won’t be coming back tonight.”
Eloise had gone off to play with her friends, leaving the dorm room completely empty. Anyone else might have felt hurt by that, but given my situation of constantly suffering her harassment, her absence was actually a relief. Honestly, I had been worried about her spotting Evelyn’s magic tome the moment I stepped inside, but fortunately she wasn’t there. Thanks to that, I managed to bring Evelyn into my room without any major problems.
Evelyn looked around the room and continued speaking, clearly pleased.
“Perfect. This worked out nicely. To be honest, I wouldn’t want anyone seeing me cast this spell. It wouldn’t end well.”
“Um… does it hurt a lot?”
Maybe it was because I had endured so much torment before, but a sudden fear of pain flashed through me. Fortunately, Evelyn explained that this was somewhat different from the kind of pain I was imagining.
“Hmm. If I had to compare it, I’d say it’s similar to a hangover. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever cast it directly on another person, so I can’t describe the exact sensation. If you’re really that worried…”
“I could always stay by your side like a private tutor and guide you through it verbally. Of course, the difficulty and efficiency would be worlds apart. But if you can endure this, I promise it will end your painful life at the academy.”
“That’s not fair. When you put it like that, I can’t possibly refuse.”
“Haha. It actually requires quite a bit of resolve on my part as well.”
After thinking for a moment, I let out a wry laugh and nodded.
“I’m ready. Let’s begin right away.”
“Wait, I haven’t finished explaining yet. Since you’ve made up your mind, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
Evelyn’s serious tone made me pause and look at her. In her book form, she remained silent for a moment as if pondering, then continued.
“First of all, if this transmission magic succeeds, we won’t be able to speak directly like this anymore.”
“Wait… you’re not going to die, are you?”
I had taken a huge risk to free her. The last thing I wanted was for her to die right after. But seeing my expression, Evelyn laughed as if amused and went on.
“Of course not. If I had to describe it simply, think of it as becoming an ego weapon.”
“But that… are you really okay with it, Evelyn? You’ve only just been freed. Isn’t this basically the same as being sealed again?”
“It’s a little different. Like I said earlier, the place I’m moving to this time isn’t a weapon or a magic tome.”
“Then where are you planning to go?”
Before I knew it, Evelyn had returned to her human form. She wore a delighted expression and pointed her finger straight at me. Come to think of it, she had mentioned entering my head. Did she mean she was going to possess me? Had her true goal all along been to take my body after luring me in with all those kind words?
As if she had read those exact thoughts, Evelyn continued.
“I told you before, it’s not what you’re imagining. What I’m trying to do is install a system I constructed with my magic directly into your mind. Have you ever heard that every person has an unconscious realm?”
“I… think I’ve heard something like that.”
“What I’m attempting is to enter that unconscious world, systemize the essence of my magic so you can use it, and grant you the ability to wield spells. To operate that system, I will enter the world inside your head. You can think of it as the mental world that martial artists often speak of. If you can’t trust me, I won’t force you. I have nothing to say if that’s the case.”
“No. I do trust you. That was our promise, wasn’t it? What I meant was whether this is really okay for you, Evelyn.”
“What? You’re worrying about someone you’ve only known for less than a day? I may have called you my descendant, but when you consider how much blood we actually share, it might be even less than what’s in this cup of water.”
“Does that even matter? What’s important is whether we trust each other. Are you truly all right with this, Lady Evelyn? I will definitely keep my promise.”
Evelyn stared at me silently before finally nodding.
“Fine, fine. I’ll trust you as well, so make sure you keep your word.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll create a new body for you, Evelyn.”
Evelyn let out a wry chuckle, waving her hand as if she had heard something amusing, and pointed toward the bed.
“If you’re ready, get up there and lie down comfortably.”
Following her instructions, I carefully climbed onto the bed.
“Relax and take a few deep breaths.”
I lay down as she told me, breathing out while staring at the ceiling. A strange feeling washed over me. How should I describe it? A mysterious sense of peace. I couldn’t remember the last time I had spent the night carrying such emotions. At some point, sleep had become nothing more than a process to reach the next day, but lying in bed with this kind of comfortable heart felt like it had been an incredibly long time.
“When you’re ready, close your eyes and repeat after me.”
I closed my eyes as instructed and began reciting the incantation she murmured. Soon a throbbing headache started to fill my skull. Then a heavy pressure bore down on my entire body as if thick clumps of cotton were weighing me down. Small groans began escaping my lips against my will.
“Ugh…! Cough! Khaa…!”
Crushed all over by something invisible, I kept exhaling in short bursts until a deep drowsiness finally overtook me. As my consciousness grew hazy, only one thought filled my mind.
Evelyn… this doesn’t feel like a hangover at all…
Soon my awareness vanished completely.
“Uuuuugh…!”
When another painful groan filled the room, even Evelyn—who had cast the magic—couldn’t hide her alarm.
“The reaction is more intense than I expected…?”
She hadn’t told Serina the full truth, but the spell Evelyn was using on her was no ordinary magic. It transferred an archmage’s entire magical capability exactly as it was. Though she had spoken as if it were nothing special, how could something like that possibly be easy? This was a spell that passed on not only a mage’s knowledge but every bit of technique and insight required to wield magic. Even transferring only the intellectual aspect could easily overload the brain and cause unconsciousness.
If this were simple, the archmages of the Magic Tower wouldn’t have to break their backs training disciples. They could simply select reasonably talented students and transfer their knowledge directly. But as far as Evelyn knew, although others had conceived of this kind of transmission method before, the only successful case had been her own. Or rather, since Evelyn had never succeeded on a living person either, it was officially a magic that had never succeeded at all.
The reason she was using this spell on her descendant Serina was simple: Evelyn was not a particularly moral person, and Serina’s magical talent was so nonexistent that it could only be described as zero.
“If she had even average talent—enough to work at the Magic Tower—I wouldn’t have resorted to such an extreme method.”
Unfortunately, her descendant Serina appeared to lack even that much potential. Yet telling her to abandon magic and find another path felt wrong. The story hidden behind those eyes had caught Evelyn’s attention. The way she asked how painful the magic would be—as if she carried some trauma regarding pain—and the completely dejected look she had when they first met made it clear that her descendant was enduring a rather difficult time at the academy.
Even without Serina saying anything, the glimpses of her daily life were enough to guess the truth.
“Huu… I’m sorry. I was wrong…”
“Hmm…”
Watching her descendant continue to suffer, Evelyn began to feel a strange emotion. Serina’s external appearance was remarkably similar to her own, differing only in atmosphere. Of course, the girl was slightly taller and had noticeably more volume in her chest.
“Why would anyone bully a child like this?”
Maintaining her human form, Evelyn sat beside the groaning Serina’s head. She had originally planned to teach her a bit of magic and then disappear, but the girl was strangely difficult to look away from.
“Sigh. How did I end up getting involved with a child like this?”
While gently stroking Serina’s hair, Evelyn suddenly recalled the heated gaze her descendant had directed at her. For some reason, it made her ears feel hot.
“Hmm… Are people these days quite open about same-sex relationships?”
Even during her time serving in the Demon King’s army, Evelyn had never hidden her orientation. It might sound amusing, but since the Demon King’s wife was the Succubus Queen, there were quite a few succubi—known as dream demons—within the ranks. One could often see those with unusual tastes or pairs comforting each other.
“Of course, I never rolled around with those filthy bitches.”
Her descendant seemed to think she had enjoyed herself quite a bit with women, but in truth Evelyn had only a few experiences with self-pleasure and had never dated anyone she could call a lover. That was why the unconscious desire in her descendant’s gaze felt so bewildering.
Objectively, she knew she possessed an attractive appearance, but they were still blood-related. Of course, there were families that preserved their superior bloodlines through nothing but incest, but still.
What truly flustered her was that receiving such a gaze from her descendant didn’t feel unpleasant at all. For a brief moment, it was a look intense enough to make her forget Azrael.
Setting those feelings aside for now, Evelyn continued with what needed to be done.
“Well. If this is fate, then so be it.”
She had already been freed from Sylvia’s seal and had taken her own precautions. As long as Serina didn’t make any mistakes, she wouldn’t be captured again easily. Therefore, Evelyn decided she would simply stay by her descendant’s side and watch the all-female harem that Serina would create. After all, she couldn’t wander around in this form anyway, and since Serina had spoken so confidently, being nearby seemed like it would be quite enjoyable.
While observing Serina’s condition, Evelyn’s gaze suddenly drifted to the girl’s thighs. She flinched.
“Ahem…”
Her eyes had moved toward the inside of the rolled-up skirt. Realizing how foolish she looked, Evelyn shook her head vigorously.
Sitting at the desk with her chin propped on her hand, staring down at Serina, Evelyn made up her mind and lightly snapped her fingers. A geometric pattern immediately appeared beside Serina, transformed into motes of light, and was absorbed into her body.
The descendant who had been groaning in pain seemed to find some relief; her breathing gradually returned to normal. Soon Evelyn began activating additional spells.
“Yes. Since I’m doing this, I might as well do it properly.”
To pass on her complete legacy to her descendant.