The Girl You Can't Stay With for Too Long
Sugar had hardened her heart after going through a series of events.
Magic school. Might as well go.
After all, she'd already contacted the cult, and bumping into them was inevitable. So, instead of being scared, let's just do what she wants to do.
It was also a result of thinking about the future beyond destroying the cult or enjoying the original story.
It's one of the prestigious schools. Once you graduate, you won't have to worry about eating. Since she's been reborn, it's good to have high goals.
She'd even promised to go with her friend.
Even if she crammed it to the original time period, there were more than 6 years left. In that time, achieve up to the 3rd level and study hard.
'Study...'
Ah, study.
Aaa. Aaaaa.
It would be nice if like in some worlds' magic schools, you get an admission notice when you reach a certain age. But there's nothing like that here.
In the game, the protagonist starts already enrolled, so I don't know the exact test content, but from the descriptions, it seems like it's mostly written exams.
At least, if there's something in your head, they teach you everything. That must be the thought.
'Tomi... Since Tomi knows a lot, if I ask her to help with study...'
While thinking of such a plan to cling naturally, there was also a heavy worry in her heart.
They are orphans. After leaving the orphanage, they have to go work somewhere right away. After all, eating is the most important.
It's far from an environment for just studying. How will she even get tuition?
'... There's still time until graduation.'
That's something to think about later.
For now, mastering the 2nd level was the biggest task. If she can't get the 3rd level, she can't even submit the application.
Being young is good for this. There are infinite choices. There's a lot of time to prepare no matter what.
So, she can definitely change the future.
Hasn't it already changed a bit?
'Contact with Rubshi... Getting her to swear not to harm me is also a gain.'
'Apostles' are people in positions that actually lead the Shadow Cult.
Among them, the Apostle who has been active for a long time and even belongs to the Floating Island declared 'I won't harm you'. That's significant.
Since she was clearly skilled, there would be no need to fight her.
But that doesn't mean she's not dangerous. She only said she won't harm, but she can use other means.
'... The others are still numerous.'
There are other Apostles and many disciples.
According to Rubshi, the cult doesn't do bad things, but... If the original Sugar hears it, she'll get angry and collapse.
'Ah, but her hearing is gone.'
Oh no.
Out of nowhere, Sugar who killed her twice started her warm-up.
After all, it's not just thinking, you have to act.
Today's training to master the 2nd level starts.
"I'm spinning..."
She's really spinning in circles.
She got a bit dizzy, spinning around and then bumping her head against the wall with a thud.
Starting the training enthusiastically was good, but the results weren't great.
Her appearance was so abnormal that Tomi watched from a distance with a disgusted expression.
"I know something is flowing in my body... I think I know how to move somehow... but if I keep concentrating, it becomes a mess and I don't know what is what..."
Hearing that, Tomi frowned.
"If I just master the method of moving, it's almost over."
"Lies... The talent user's deception doesn't work..."
"No. Really, after that there's nothing. It's just a matter of how fast, how much, how well you control it, and how well you maintain it."
Tomi held up one finger.
Through the magic power flowing from the finger, a clear donut-shaped ring appeared, visible to the naked eye.
"Like this. As if breathing. Manipulating magic power itself is simple. It's up to each person's skill how clearly you can make it and how long you can maintain it."
"... If that's the case, I could have made a distorted ring or a clear ring, maintained it for 1 second or 10 seconds, anyway, I could make the ring?"
"It might be particularly difficult to pull it out from outside the body. Even so, it should be possible to move freely anywhere in the body a little bit..."
Movement itself was possible.
It was moving at a snail's pace, and at some point, the concentration broke like something snapped, which was the problem.
In the situation where no answer was coming out, Sugar stuck her forehead to the wall again with a slap.
"I'm a cicada... Zzz... Zzz..."
It was autumn, so the cicadas should all be dead. But they're still here.
What was the cause of this stress-induced behavior? It was the result of the worry and impatience about the future combining to act strongly. There was no progress because she didn't know what the cult would do.
Tomi looked at Sugar with an expression of genuine awakening. Then, something suddenly came to mind, and she opened her mouth.
"... Hey. I thought about it. It's probably because of your magic nature."
"You said it wasn't before..."
"When was that? I just said I didn't know. Anyway, let's set up a hypothesis and hear it."
With the mindset of grasping at straws, she sat in front of Tomi. Her friend was like a savior regarding magic.
"First, your magic. It has a special nature."
"Yes..."
"There's a nature that mixes with any magic. If your magic is less than the opponent's, it melts into the opponent, and if it's larger, it eats it. Simply put, it wants to mix with others easily."
"Yes..."
Explaining it clearly was good. It felt odd to hear her own magic nature explained from someone else's mouth.
"That's why you feel the influence of the surroundings."
"The influence of the surroundings?"
"There is magic power in all natural things in this world. Including humans, everyone weakly influences and is influenced by each other. With that as the background. What did you say earlier about how you failed?"
"When moving the magic power, the concentration suddenly breaks like something snaps..."
"That's exactly the phenomenon caused by the influence of the magic power in natural things."
Sugar tilted her head, and Tomi continued.
"To put it a bit bluntly, there are several water channels flowing around you. Among them, you know what your own water channel is. This is level 1. But when trying to manipulate it, your concentration is dispersed to the other water channels around you, so it doesn't work properly. This is why level 2 isn't working."
"Then, aren't other mages in the same situation? Natural things influence each other, people influence each other. Everyone has many water channels around."
"Your magic is much easier to influence and be influenced by than others. Think of other water channels wanting to mix with you. Others don't. They have to focus only on their own, but because they keep trying to mix, it's hard."
"Hmm..."
She understood the words that had some validity.
But the biggest problem remained.
"... So what now?"
"..."
A silence fell.
"Th... If that's the case, I can only master level 2 if there is no influence from the surroundings. Is that possible?"
"There are places where magic power is blocked..."
"We can't go? Can't use it? Or is it a place where normal people die just by going?"
Since there was no answer, she accepted it as the response.
Sugar, who had straightened her posture comfortably, rolled her head with effort. This young friend had explained this much, so she had to do something.
She didn't know if it was possible, but the feeling that an answer had come out made her motivation rise.
'It's not like there's no answer at all.'
Fundamentally positive. In situations with no answer, the will would fade, but she was a girl who would steel herself and burn again.
"Hmm... Then, if I go to a place without people, maybe I can?"
"It's also important that there are no natural things outside of people."
"Then, a place made only of artificial structures? ... Ah!"
Something suddenly came to mind.
A place without people and made only of artificial structures.
"What... What is it?"
"Is there time at night?"
"... Suddenly?"
Tomi flinched at the sudden question, her body trembling.
"I thought of a good place."
With a wicked smile, her face was so evil that it didn't suit. There was a bad feeling somewhere.
"I'm really excited."
"I feel excited in some way too..."
Night at the textile factory.
Two girls who had come secretly to the old factory built near the slums, targeting the time when workers were absent.
Because there were few people and few natural things, it was judged to be perfect.
Since going to the front door and getting caught by the security would end it, they decided to sneak in through the second floor windows.
"... Why am I doing this?"
Tomi had said OK herself, but thinking about it, did she really need to follow?
"Why. It's fun. Adventuring with friends at night. When you look back when you grow up, it's all memories."
Whispering as they secretly climbed up.
"Waaah, security is coming."
Immediately lowered their posture when they saw the figure inside the window.
"..."
"..."
"Gone?"
Looking again, the figure was heading to the opposite side. Phew. Sugar let out a sigh of relief and sat on the second floor railing.
"Hurry up and come up...! Security just left...!"
"Why so fast..."
Tomi, who had been fidgeting against the wall, jumped and grabbed the railing. It was a leap that defied normal physics laws.
"Oh... Level 2..."
Magic manipulation. Corresponding physical enhancement. The desire to follow quickly rose.
The two who safely reached the second floor immediately started scanning one by one if there was an open window.
"They're all closed. No ventilation?"
"She'll thoroughly lock the door. It's full of kids who don't pay rent around here."
"Hmm... No choice."
Sugar took out a hammer from behind her back. She had been waiting for this moment while saying that.
"Hey...! Are you crazy?"
"Hehe. I borrowed it from the orphanage warehouse."
"Who asked for that? What are you going to do by breaking the windows...!"
"Then, is there another good way?"
"..."
Bad deeds are done for extremely simple and meaningless reasons. That's how the world goes.
When Tomi wrapped the windows with magic, Sugar broke the glass near the lock with the hammer.
Because the magic acted as a shield, there was no loud noise, and glass fragments didn't scatter wildly.
It was a clean job.
"Good."
With a triumphant sound, Sugar reached in and unlocked the lock and opened the window wide. And with her small body, she slipped inside the factory.
"..."
Tomi, who had no words to say while watching the smooth series of scenes like flowing water.
Of course, she had participated herself, but somehow, she had no words.
"Tomi, come in quickly. Security will come again."
Quietly following Sugar, she pushed her body into the building.
No matter how you think about it, the girl you can't stay with for too long.