Orun (3)
"A demon…"
In truth, Redrago didn't care if Tiable was a demon. That was simply how he saw it.
Demons shared the same appearance as humans. The only real differences were that every demon could wield magic and that each of them possessed an overwhelming quantity of mana. Those with reserves even greater than their kin sometimes failed to contain the excess, and horns would sprout as a result. A horned demon was a formidable one indeed.
Tiable being a demon wouldn't change a thing. He simply thought of her as a pitiful child who had lost her memories and been teleported far from home. If anything, he was glad—it felt like he was finally learning more about her.
"How about we measure her mana first?"
Suxus clearly wanted to settle, once and for all, whether she was a demon or not.
"As you like. But answer Tiable's questions as thoroughly as you can."
They had come here because Tiable was curious about Orc magic. Redrago reminded Suxus of that purpose once more, so he wouldn't lose sight of it.
"Sure. Easy enough."
Magic, Control, Want
"Why does Tiable write instead of speaking?"
He looked at my paper, then turned to Redrago.
"I don't know. She's always been the quiet type."
This is so frustrating! I don't speak because if I do, magic casts itself whether I want it or not!
I hurriedly wrote again.
Control, Impossible
"Does magic activate on its own whenever she speaks?"
Suxus was sharp. I nodded to confirm.
"I'll need to hear her speak for myself to be sure."
"Before that, let's measure her mana. Then have her speak in front of me."
Suxus produced a black stone about the size of his hand—from where, I couldn't say.
"It's simple. Just touch the stone."
I set my hand against the black stone. Nothing happened. When I tilted my head, puzzled by the lack of reaction, Suxus said, "Just wait a moment."
As promised, after a short wait the black stone began turning white.
"Good. Don't take your hand off until I tell you to."
The stone kept whitening until it shone with a pure white light—brighter than mere white, almost luminous.
"Hmm, hmm…! Quite surprising."
Suxus's brow twitched.
"Truly an astronomical amount of mana. Monster-level—the kind that appears once every tens of thousands of years. Honestly, I'm rather shocked."
I'm a human, not a monster. I just know a lot about magic.
"All right, Tiable. Let's hear you speak."
"Just in case, we should do this at the magic practice grounds."
When we arrived at the practice grounds, everything was still charred black from the fireball I'd launched.
"The burnt smell is pretty strong, but this is the only suitable place. Go on, Tiable—speak."
I took a steadying breath, looked at Suxus, and spoke.
"He-llo!"
A sprout pushed up through the charred floor. That splash of green against the black ground was painfully conspicuous.
"A seedling grew."
Recalling the greetings I'd learned, I kept going.
"Nice to meet you."
Something formed above my right temple, then an icicle the size of my hand shot toward Suxus. It reached the barrier and shattered against it, powerless. Suxus, standing outside the barrier, didn't so much as blink. He simply watched me.
"Please take care of me."
A wind cutter flew at Suxus, and I felt something like a film settle over my body. He simply observed it all in silence.
Does Suxus not know why this is happening either? I don't know myself.
"Tiable, say a little more."
Ugh… Even if you tell me to talk, I don't have anything to say…
"Th-thank you?"
Water sprayed from my hand.
"Hmm. I see. I understand."
"Tiable, every time you speak, you pour mana into your words. 'Leaking' might be the more accurate term."
Mana is leaking out? I can tell I have more mana than in my original body, but I don't feel it leaking.
"This isn't your native language, is it?"
That was true. It wasn't my language.
"When you try to pronounce something accurately, mana can slip into your words without you realizing it. Especially for someone with as much mana as you—it's all too easy."
"I've learned the languages of various races myself, and while using magic, I've accidentally infused everyday speech with mana and cast spells before."
TBQKDLSGKRTPS
Suxus suddenly said something in the Orc tongue. A water droplet formed at his fingertip and fell to the floor.
"What I just said is the name of a dish Orcs eat from time to time. It happens to sound similar to a Beastman spell, so the magic activates."
"Though in my case, it doesn't keep coming out like that."
He pointed at the continuous stream of water still gushing from my hand.
"Of course, not every Orc casts magic every time they say that food's name. Without knowing the structure of the spell, it won't activate."
"It's not a perfect solution, but the easiest fix is simply to reduce your mana."
Before I could even sink into thought, Suxus continued.
"Tiable, do you know the conditions for casting magic?"
I knew the conditions from my previous world, but this one might be different, so I shook my head.
"First: your mana must exceed the consumption cost of the spell you wish to cast."
"Second: you must pronounce the intended spell correctly."
"Third: you must understand the structure of the spell you wish to cast."
"Fail any one of these three, and the magic's performance drops sharply—or it fizzles entirely. It's the first thing they teach you in school."
Aside from there being no fourth condition, it was surprisingly identical to my previous world.
"If you want control, I'll give you an artifact that stops the mana from leaking. But before that—could I ask a favor?"
"Redrago, didn't you say Tiable fired a black sphere that annihilates everything?"
"I did. This time, only quiet spells are coming out."
Wind Cutter isn't exactly quiet, but compared to that black sphere, sure.
"I don't know if it's possible, but… I'd like to see that magic once."
Suxus's eyes shone with the hunger of someone discovering something new. I used to look at magic with those same eyes.
"Of course, you don't have to force yourself."
He added that to ease the pressure, but his eyes sparkled with clear hope that I would. In his gaze I saw my old self, and I decided to try.
What had I said in that situation?
Redrago, search magic had probably been used to investigate Redrago, and the rest was… I, do?
Using an all-annihilating spell was a little frightening, but this barrier had withstood my fireball. It should be safe.
"I, do."
A familiar sensation bloomed in my hand.
"Ohhh, is that it?"
Suxus's eyes went wide. The black sphere growing from my palm swelled larger and larger—
Woooong—
—then left my hand.
It flew toward the barrier. Upon contact, it made a sickening noise and kept pushing through, driving the barrier back.
Vrr—vrr-vrr—vr
AQJQDDRKEKTSP. WHWEHO
Suxus hurriedly chanted something. A magic shield bearing the Orc crest I'd seen in the city materialized in the sphere's path.
At last the black sphere punched a hole through the barrier as if melting it and continued toward the shield. The shield roared as it held the sphere back—until the sphere vanished and the shield vanished with it.
"Hoo… More vicious than I expected."
"Thank you for showing me, Tiable."
Suxus wiped the sweat from his brow, wearing a peculiar expression.
Suxus gave me a bracelet. It wasn't marked with an Orc crest. The pattern covering it was one even Redrago didn't recognize. This must be the artifact that absorbs leaking mana.
"Try speaking."
"He-llo."
Nothing happened.
"Nice to meet you."
An icicle formed, then fell limp to the ground.
"Hmm… If you wear one more… that should do it."
If this is the level of magic that still casts, it might be fine.
"I-I'm fine."
A small light orbited around me.
"Ohhh! That's an Elven spell—the pronunciation is quite different, yet it formed this much. Remarkable."
If I'd taken the bracelet off, far more light would have appeared.
"When cast properly, that light serves as a guide."
"You know a great many spells, Tiable."
Suxus grinned at me with genuine interest. Even knowing he wasn't a bad person, it gave me a slight chill.
Tiable had finally found her voice. Paper was no longer necessary.
Hugo, that kid—he'd absolutely leap for joy the moment he saw her.
We'd stayed in Orun several days already. It was time to head back.
"Tiable, we leave today."
"Okay!"
Tiable held out her hand first.
Still, according to Suxus, casting magic required knowing a spell's structure and pronouncing it accurately. Which meant—how many spell structures did Tiable understand? He couldn't even begin to estimate.
Just what kind of child was she? Tiable…
She didn't seem like a simple demon…