Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Spirit
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Despite all sorts of incidents, it could ultimately be summed up in one sentence.
“It’s a relief it didn’t turn into a big disaster.”
The events inside the exchange hall seemed to be dismissed as merely a glitch in the facility.
⋯⋯No one could even dream that the enormous mana capable of shaking the entire Mage Tower had come from Vespa, who was now rolling her eyes beside Carlyle.
“Uh, um, it’ll be okay, right?”
“Nothing to worry about.”
As if it were nothing, without even intending to, in a state where she had casually crushed Caleb.
Her flustered panic over the aftermath was, well.
Pretty damn scary.
She didn’t seem to have any objective grasp of the extent of her own power.
At least she didn’t appear to have any intention of abusing it, so that was fortunate.
And as Carlyle thought that, Letty’s gaze flew over and fixed on him.
“⋯⋯Why are you staring like that?”
When he asked Letty, who was boring holes into him, she pointed at the item wrapped around his arm.
The relic that had been wrapped around Caleb’s arm. An item that greatly increased mana sensitivity.
“-You sure it’s okay to take that?”
It was a family treasure, after all.
“We can say it broke while we were rescuing him or something.”
“⋯⋯.”
“The guy owes me his life. Can’t he spare this much as thanks?”
“⋯⋯You’re sneakier than you look sometimes.”
I’d prefer “efficient.”
I’d just saved a jerk with a bad personality who picked fights. Shouldn’t he get something out of it too?
Anyway.
“This thing’s a lot better than I thought.”
Even when a top-tier mage like Caleb used it, the efficiency was noticeably good. But reading the description floating before his eyes now made it clear it was far superior.
-Item Info
Relic - Eye of Quilia
▶ An item created by an ancient mana lifeform. It allows the wearer to visually identify mana flows. It increases the wearer’s mana sensitivity, and depending on capability, can be used in combat or to improve magic proficiency.
It wasn’t just about helping control mana better—it let you see how mana moved with your own eyes. That was undoubtedly a huge advantage.
All abilities boiled down to how you directed and positioned them. If you could see it all visually, it meant absorbing all that information intuitively.
‘This’ll be useful for studying magic on my own later.’
[⋯⋯? Planning to study magic?]
‘You gotta dabble in everything at least once.’
[⋯⋯Feels like you’re picking up more and more miscellaneous skills.]
‘It’s the same as before.’
The advantage of being a multiple regressor was having no field untouched by your hands, no matter what it was.
Swordsmanship, magic, even obscure Eastern abilities like shamanism or alchemy.
‘I can’t reach Hero-level perfection in a hexagon, but a small one’s doable.’
Then his role would be.
No standout specialty irreplaceable by others, but a joker card deployable anywhere in emergencies.
Lubricant to smooth over any crisis.
As proven just moments ago, it was a skill that shone in cleaning up every mess the Hero Party had ever caused.
Only someone who knew the Hero Party’s strengths and weaknesses blindfolded could do it.
[⋯⋯That’s basically saying you’ll be a jack-of-all-trades, isn’t it?]
Put nicely, yeah.
Anyway.
‘Being able to sense mana properly right away seems pretty helpful.’
He stood before the large sphere in the deepest part of the Mage Tower workshop.
The key reason for infiltrating the Mage Tower. The Orb of Truth.
The item that would reveal the identity of that mysterious something popping out whenever Vespa handled mana.
‘This should help a lot when using it.’
[Vespa’s the one doing something. You’re not. Will it really help?]
‘I can prepare for contingencies.’
[⋯⋯You’re quite cautious, aren’t you.]
Caution was only natural.
If there was one thing Carlyle had learned for sure across all those regressions.
‘Anything whose true nature is unknown? Suspect it first.’
It could be a Hellish or demonic deception tactic.
How many times had he seen unidentified transcendent beings disguised to deceive humans?
‘⋯⋯If it’s something weird, I’ll smash it right away with this.’
If whatever it was hid its identity within mana, the identification ability of the Eye of Quilia would be extremely useful.
With that in mind, Carlyle watched Vespa carefully as she ascended the platform beneath the Orb of Truth.
“Alright. Let’s do this.”
With Letty’s words, intense mana began pulsing around them.
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For Vespa Luciana, today had been an extraordinarily eventful day.
Like she’d gone through every single thing she’d never done in her life, all at once.
And what she was going through now was the pinnacle of those experiences.
“To summon a transcendent being from the sub-dimension, you first need unity of mind. You only get one shot, so focus.”
“Unity⋯⋯?”
“The theory’s long⋯⋯ Basically, simplify the summoning medium to its purest form, then carve the transcendent being’s framework to match.”
“⋯⋯Uh. No clue.”
“Well, simply put, it’s making a great person into a dummy like us. So you gotta be the biggest dummy.”
“⋯⋯.”
Aha.
Crystal clear.
“Recalling your most intense recent emotion will help.”
Intense emotion.
Intense emotion, huh.
“⋯⋯.”
Vespa’s gaze slowly slid over to Carlyle and stuck there.
All her recent intense emotions had been triggered by him.
What was it.
Every time she looked at Carlyle, she felt intense emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure in vivid colors.
⋯⋯Mostly bright ones.
What was it.
I’m happy. When Carlyle’s nearby.
“Huh.”
And at that moment, the familiar blue mist appeared before Vespa’s eyes.
She hadn’t even tried to wield mana for magic, yet it popped up first. Never happened before.
“That’s it! You’re doing great!”
“⋯⋯Huh?”
“What just came up is your most intense recent feeling. Keep thinking along those lines!”
“⋯⋯.”
Her most intense recent feeling was the “happiness” from having Carlyle nearby.
⋯⋯Well.
‘No, nooo⋯⋯’
Vespa rubbed her flushed cheeks and closed her eyes.
What was it.
It felt like being forced to acknowledge a vague emotion she’d only dimly sensed.
‘⋯⋯O-okay then⋯⋯’
Still, Letty said it was necessary, so, um.
Let’s focus.
On thoughts of Carlyle.
‘⋯⋯Um, hmm, right, so⋯⋯’
If.
Just if.
She got a little closer to Carlyle like this, and maybe⋯⋯
D-dated him.
Holding hands with Carlyle, going on dates, even k-kissing⋯⋯
“⋯⋯.”
Her legs twisted together.
Her whole body felt feverish.
‘Ah, no way it’s this much.’
Vespa broke out in cold sweat, trying to steer her thoughts elsewhere.
Carlyle himself was right there. Focusing on that while he watched was too embarrassing⋯⋯
“⋯⋯Huhh.”
The blue mist before her eyes grew thicker and denser around her.
⋯⋯As if she were doing extremely well.
“That’s it! Keep holding that thread and focus!”
“H-here? Focus more?”
“Keep going! Don’t break it!”
“⋯⋯.”
Uh.
Uhh.
Her eyes spun, but Letty said focus, so let’s dive deeper.
Okay.
After dating, going out, kissing, next would be⋯⋯
‘M-marriage⋯⋯?!’
Just imagining it made Vespa’s face explode with heat.
No, no, she knew it was overkill.
She didn’t even know Carlyle’s feelings. Just her delusion.
But.
‘⋯⋯Heh, hehehe⋯⋯’
Somehow.
Thinking of living peacefully with Carlyle, even having two kids.
Her face melted into a silly grin.
Wow, it’d be so happy?
Carlyle at work, her cooking at home waiting for him, and at night, all sorts of things—
“Uuhehehe, uuhehehehehe—!”
Vespa’s face went from melting to practically dissolving.
“Perfect! It’s almost solidified!”
And matching that, the blue mist began taking human shape.
At this rate, they could smoothly summon the sub-dimensional god in human form⋯⋯
Buoyed by the encouragement, Vespa’s delusions ran wild like an untethered colt.
Doing this with Carlyle, that with him too.
And more. After that, even more.
Her thoughts spiraled into overdrive, toward a pink future with Carlyle.
And at the very end of that, the thought that surfaced.
Gray looking at her and Carlyle with sad eyes.
“⋯⋯.”
For a moment.
Vespa’s breath caught.
‘⋯⋯Why—’
Why was Lady Gray appearing.
Why that expression.
Why did she end up thinking of Gray with that face.
“-”
For a moment.
The blue mist’s color turned pitch black in an instant.
And the changed mist scattered around.
“-What the hell! You were doing so well!”
Letty shouted angrily, but.
Vespa couldn’t respond, just staring at the dispersing mist.
Right before it scattered, for a brief instant.
It had taken complete human form.
Looking at her with sad eyes.
At the very end, pitying herself for thinking that.
And that was.
‘Me?’
The form of the being Letty called a spirit.
Unmistakably.
⋯⋯Looked just like Vespa herself.
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