12. Sugarcandy
Two days had passed.
Sugar had safely awakened the magic vein, but the aftereffects remained, leaving her bedridden. She had been unconscious for a long time, and only now had she finally opened her eyes properly.
“... It hurts.”
Her body moved somehow, but it creaked. Tommy had said she was like a porcelain doll that had expanded and cracked all over. It was fortunate that, unlike porcelain, she could self-heal.
“How's your body feeling?”
The orphanage director's sister came with a bowl of soup. She had lied to the adults, saying she caught a cold from secretly playing outside at dawn, and was isolated in the private room. There was no way to keep anything about magic secret.
“I think I'm better than before.”
“Yeah... Now that the night breeze is getting cold, don't do that anymore.”
“So why don't you listen to the adults and run around! When you get better, you'll know there'll be no food for the whole day!”
“Unnie... You're still sick...”
The director's sister and the director who had come to poke at people left.
A few minutes later, Frallin entered hesitantly.
“Sugar...! Are you okay? What happened while you were out...”
A good kid. She only got a little closer that day, but she came to visit anyway.
“I'm fine. I'll get better soon. I'm okay, tell me about your story. How was the outside?”
“W-well, w-well, w-well, w-well...”
“Huh?”
“It was amazing!”
The yellow eyes peeking from the neatly cut bangs sparkled.
“I didn't know there were so many carriages with magic stones! Here, people still use horses! The buildings are tall and the exterior walls aren't dull gray but colorful... People are dressed like stylish people everywhere I look...”
She almost would have been upset if she hadn't been able to go out that day.
After that, Frallin continued chattering for several minutes without stopping. Since it was perfect to forget the pain, Sugar remained silent and listened attentively. She didn't know, but this friend spoke quite well.
“The mansion was a given! I really... had never been to such a place before. How can a house be that big? Everyone was walking without making a sound, and it was all because of the hired workers there! Not nobles! I wondered if someone like me could even enter there, but the director entered so boldly-”
Then she stopped abruptly.
“Ah... I'm sorry... I talked too much without realizing...”
“No, it's fine. You can say more. It was interesting.”
“You go out often, so you know everything there... You should rest where it's painful...”
Frallin stood up from her seat and rummaged through her pockets.
“... Before leaving, there's a gift. I received it from the mansion, but originally it was supposed to be for you.”
It was neatly wrapped in a handkerchief. When she took it and unfolded it, it was a stick candy. Hard to find in the slums.
“Hey! You don't have to give this. It's what you received.”
She herself wouldn't eat it, let alone give it to me. How difficult it is to give something you love to someone else at an age when you go crazy for sweets.
However, Frallin had a somewhat mischievous, Sugar-like smile.
“Actually, I received two, so I'm giving one. If I had received only one... hehehe...”
A mischievous kid. Sugar couldn't help but smile.
So they laughed together. Then Frallin suddenly made a serious expression and opened her mouth.
“... Thank you so much, Sugar. Thanks to you, I got to know the wide world. I'm so frustrated because I realized how narrow my world is...”
“I didn't really do anything special...”
“No, really... No.”
After Frallin left with a faint smile.
Alone, Sugar lay comfortably while sucking on the candy.
How long has it been since I ate sugar...
The moment it touched her tongue, a tingling sweetness spread, making the back of her neck tingle.
Thinking about it, I recall that the original magic school city had quite a few dessert shops. Ice cream, pudding, cake, etc.
Ah, it's pulling me in.
In my previous life, I wasn't the type to enjoy such things. If there was, I ate it, if not, I didn't. Just that much.
But now with this body, sometimes intense cravings would rise, but since I had no money, I couldn't satisfy those desires. I wouldn't steal tree fruits or sneak them from adults and munch on them.
... I should go to the magic school.
It wasn't that I was considering going to the magic school just to eat one dessert. Suddenly, the thought came to mind. It was part of seriously planning my future.
With the candy in my mouth, I spread my hand. Although not visible, I felt something flowing. When I poured that concentration into my whole body, I felt something flowing through my body.
This was the magic vein. Sugar had cleared the first stage of the basic condition for mages: 'I can feel the flow of magic power.'
Originally, she had planned to go at least to the second stage to avoid the cult's abduction, but...
Since it's come to this, should I challenge the third stage?
Sugar had a needless confidence.
If this became possible, she would have the basics as a mage, and moreover, she would have the qualification to apply to enter the magic academy Stille, where the main story of the original work unfolds. She could go there, make friends with the main characters, learn magic, adventure, and enjoy such romantic daily life. It was a game she liked enough to draw aggro in related communities, so she was quite excited.
Of course, it wasn't all good points.
There was a high probability of getting entangled with the cult, Ryly, and other villains.
The first two were the biggest problems.
Sugar absent from the cult, Ryly who had allied with such a cult. She couldn't predict at all how those two would turn out, which was the problem.
Getting caught up in the fight between the cult and the protagonist for no reason.
Getting caught up in Ryly's conspiracy.
Getting caught by that guy, becoming a long-term pawn, a shuttle, a slave, being bullied, being killed.
Although it was an example built with malice towards one person in the middle, it was nevertheless possibilities that couldn't be denied.
Who was Ryly. A twisted guy.
A guy who underestimated people's understanding, trampled on them, and stood on top while being greedy, filled with inferiority and approval desire, seeking attention.
Such a guy, twisted firmly by the protagonist and various factors, ended up in despair saying 'Let this world that doesn't recognize me perish-'
Narrow-minded kid.
A disabled kidnapper. Level legend: Using a super magic book to bully the disabled (no senses, no voice) to call for a guardian.
Setting aside the question of whether the dark god could be a guardian.
The influence of the dream Sugar had seen before was large in this slander. The scene where Ryly summoned the dark god through Sugar. Because of that, Sugar couldn't get rid of the perception that 'Ryly is wicked'.
With such anxiety factors, if only considering her own well-being, wouldn't it be the most peaceful to live in some remote place, doing magic as a job?
... On the contrary. Maybe the school is the safest.
After all, there's a person who stops all those villains.
The one who owns the 'Holy Staff', shows tremendous growth speed, and solves events happening inside and outside the school — that's the protagonist.
Leave the strong opponents to the protagonist, and I quietly attend school, dealing with the sparks that fly at me with my own power, such a small-munchkin behavior... Then I make friends with the heroines too...
The future plan turned into a pure otaku fantasy.
Still, the sight of rolling the candy around and thinking hard was something to forgive for someone of her age.
Her cheeks puffed out roundly matching the round candy. When she moved the candy to the other side, the opposite side puffed out.
Huhu. Delicious.
While enjoying the sweetness, Sugar was drawing her future, but soon she stopped thinking and got up.
The cult's abduction hadn't happened yet, so such worries were premature. The original protagonists were all around high school to college age. Sugar was now 11 years old. They were similar ages, so there was still a lot of time before the main story began.
She gently stretched her arms and peeked her head out from the private room door.
Having lain down for two days, her body felt more stiff, so she thought she would move a little. Since adults would pass by, she would get scolded, so she secretly looked outside.
Fortunately, the corridor was quiet.
Thinking about it...
She hadn't seen that guy. Why didn't he come to visit?
Sugar grumbled but recalled the events from two days ago.
The morning where countless thorns seemed to sprout from inside her body and tear her apart. She had cried only tears because the pain was so unbearable she couldn't even scream.
She endured the pain somehow and successfully awakened the magic vein.
Am I amazing?
She thought, but since she was in pain and writhing, it was embarrassing, so she changed the mood and asked that guy. Isn't it amazing?
- ... Yeah. It's amazing.
The boy's face had a faint smile. When she looked back, she realized that was the first time she had seen that kid smile.
She was tired too, sweating, full of fatigue.
Yet that face that smiled a little was quite mature.
“...”
She knew how to smile like that.
It was nice to see. Why did she always scowl?
The high probability was that it was because of Sugar, but anyway, it was Sugar who made her smile.
Good. From now on, I have to smile a lot.
If she smiled well, that kid would get used to it too, an evil plan. Huhu. Making an ominous sound, she immediately headed to the attic where the boy was.
When she went up, she saw him busily writing something relying on the light coming from a small window.
“What are you doing?”
He stopped writing, looked up at Sugar. His brows furrowed.
Sugar's plan seemed far from success.
“... You moved already?”
“If I don't move, what's the point?”
“... It's your body, it's your choice.”
Then he went back to writing. Sugar squatted in front of Tommy.
“Why didn't you come to visit?”
“Do I have to come visit?”
Like we were that close. He spat it out without looking at Sugar.
Although they had been attached for a while, it was a bit ungrateful, but he was the one who contributed the most to awakening the first stage.
“It's fine. Thanks, I'll let you off.”
With a grin, he said cheerfully.
While looking at the notes he had written, there were many incomprehensible sounds. The main content was acquiring the first stage through magic injection and other related hypotheses.
At such a young age, how could he do this? When she looked at his face, he was concentrating as if possessed.
A kid with excellent learning desire.
Really.
Too much.
A bit, it feels pathological.
She was interested in the language she had never seen before.
She understood magical terminology that a kid couldn't possibly know.
When she looked at the floor more closely, he had also written a report on pure magic power. On that day, after seeing Sugar's magic power, he had so many things to think about.
At this age. In such a poor environment. Having such knowledge thirst.
Her deep eyes, dazed while scanning the report. It was a bit eerie if you looked at it.
Sugar's smile that was on her lips disappeared slightly.
What exactly was in the source of that determination.
“...”
She shook her head.
This was why geniuses are lonely.
I have to be by your side.
Even though using me as a servant, if I get upset because that friend is too obsessed with studying, what then.
He was definitely a friend who would become great later.
What she had to do was not stop or fear, but encourage and cheer, and be by his side.
Conveying kindness that this pretending-to-be-mature young kid couldn't learn from books.
So that she wouldn't take the wrong path. So that she could go to a bright place.
With that heart, she opened her mouth.
“Take a break and do it.”
“I'm fine. I have to write it down as soon as the thought comes to me.”
“What if you get sick from it?”
“I'm still young, so it's fine.”
Hah. Already saying she's willing to pay for youth. It would be something to be loved by professors later when going to university or something.
With a sigh for the sad future, Sugar rolled the candy around in her mouth.
“Tommy. Open your mouth.”
“What? Why?”
While saying ‘why’, she put the candy in the mouth that had opened.
“Chomp. Eat while doing it.”
Then, thinking she should step aside since she seemed busy, she left the attic. Since she was doing it herself, she couldn't stop her. Her mind was peaceful like ‘Should I go steal tree fruits?’
Then, what about the left Tommy.
He stopped his writing hand, eyes wide open. He couldn't close his mouth, continuously making ‘Ah... ah...!’ groans.
The redness on his face was at its peak so far.
There was no time to get angry and shout. Every time the saliva mixed with the sweetness came out, his body twitched.
This time, she had no intention to tease.
It was just that she gave it with the mindset of sharing even a bean in the slums where snacks were rare.
“Ah...! Uuu...!”
This young boy seemed too big for him to accept.