Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Magic of the Present World (2)
I was dumbfounded.
My senses were sharp, yet the situation made no sense at all.
This was clearly my optimal state.
I hadn't been tortured,
nor had I suffered any major injuries.
Even the flow of my magic power was perfectly smooth, without a hitch.
Just in case, I checked my body.
The polymorph hadn't broken,
and I wasn't consumed by evil, twisting my mind.
That meant the catastrophe hadn't happened yet.
There was no way anyone had discovered I was the Evil Dragon,
so there was no reason for me to be bound like this.
In any timeline, I would have acted cautiously to avoid annoyances.
'Did they figure it out? Like with the giants?'
Back then, I hadn't suspected a thing.
I never imagined they'd uncovered my identity,
and they had hidden it so thoroughly that no seeds of doubt could sprout.
Every action,
every word,
everything was utterly ordinary.
There was no corner to suspect, no hint of unease.
They
had restrained me, claiming I'd violated their laws, and I'd accepted it.
I was the outsider,
and they were the masters of that land.
So, I had no choice but to accept it.
The giants' laws were foreign, but they deserved respect.
But—
I hadn't known back then.
How long they had been watching me before that.
Looking back now, it was all deliberate.
The silent gazes,
even the small kindnesses and casual conversations.
From the start, there had been no gap for me to escape.
'But...'
This was a bedroom.
Not a courtroom,
nor a prison.
Familiar items of mine were scattered everywhere.
The lived-in feel confirmed it—this was my space.
I couldn't help but laugh.
A pure laugh, born of sheer absurdity.
At the same time, I was certain.
This memory wasn't from my timeline.
I wouldn't foolishly give an opening in a place like this and get bound.
Moreover, this memory
didn't rewind time immediately,
nor attempt any real resistance.
Even as my space was invaded.
'There's no way I'd be this stupid.'
I
wasn't the type to tolerate something like this.
"Haa..."
The me in the memory let out a short sigh.
I stared at the magic binding my hands
and tried to shatter it by pouring in strong magic power.
For the first time, it matched my own thinking.
Kiiiiing—!
But,
did it have the property of absorbing magic?
The magic I poured out was futilely sucked into the binding spell.
The spell, now infused with my magic,
grew even tougher and more solid, tightening around me.
'What is this?'
My eyes narrowed, so the me in the memory must have thought the same.
At that moment—
There was a sound from beyond the door.
I held my breath.
Even if it wasn't my timeline,
this person might confront me someday in another form.
'I need to confirm.'
Someone skilled enough to invade my bedroom,
perceptive enough to see through my identity and bind me—
I had to remember them no matter what.
I held my breath and sharpened all my senses.
I couldn't move, but my senses extended outward.
Soon,
the door opened.
"Row—! No matter how much I search, I can't find the sewing kit—!"
Pink, long hair.
Clear, large green eyes.
That unfamiliar yet familiar woman was clearly the Girl Child of the future.
One of her blouse buttons must have come off,
leaving the top slightly open.
The woman scanned the bedroom, grumbling as she approached me.
'Dangerous.'
If this person had figured out my identity,
they could be a threat to the future Girl Child too.
I couldn't let her get close like this.
Even she needed to escape to safety.
Did the me in the memory think the same?
Gazing at the woman, I spoke.
"I'll find it for you, so untie this."
"Shhh—!"
That short exchange
instantly halted my thoughts.
It was absurdly natural and familiar.
Both the me who spoke
and the woman who casually refused.
What was going on?
Even watching the memory, I couldn't keep up.
"Haa..."
Once more, the me in the memory sighed shortly.
I shook my bound hands a few times,
then looked at the woman with eyes that held no expectations.
As if this were routine, so familiarly.
The woman grinned broadly and climbed onto the bed.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Now right in front of my nose, she spoke excitedly.
"How is it? How is it?"
"...What."
"The new spell I just developed! This one!"
She tapped it lightly with her index finger.
She touched the magic binding my hands, very slowly.
As if expecting my reaction, she moved her finger even slower on purpose.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
The me in the memory seemed the same, sighing again.
"No idea. Untie it quick."
"No way. I need to submit it for class, so answer sincerely."
The woman beamed and caressed my cheek.
"...If I were the professor, I wouldn't give it high marks."
"Ugh.... But the binding strength is good, right?"
"For now..."
The me in the memory's gaze returned to my bound hands.
It was sturdy enough that ordinary strength couldn't break it,
the magic flow flexible yet with excellent suppression.
And it grew stronger the more magic it absorbed.
Looking closely,
a delicately tuned magic structure was densely interwoven.
I'd dismissed it at first,
but the more I looked, the more impressive it was.
Solid, unbroken, and highly stable.
Not something to brush off lightly.
Even I might need considerable time to dispel it.
The me in the memory murmured.
"You put real effort into making it well."
"Ehe, right?"
"Yeah. Didn't expect it to absorb the wearer's magic power. Cleverly hidden."
The woman smiled brightly.
That smile was unfamiliar yet familiar.
For some reason, the absurdity eased a bit.
"You evaluated it, so untie me now."
"No. We need to test it too."
"...Test?"
When the me in the memory asked puzzledly, the woman nodded with a bright smile.
"Yeah—! You're an expert in magic, Row. Perfect test subject?"
"...What else are you testing."
"Nothing big. Just try dispelling it yourself once."
My gaze shifted upward again.
Having given up on persuasion, my eyes reading the spell were sharper than before.
As I focused on the spell, the woman's voice came.
"Hey, Row."
"Yeah?"
"That spell. How many minutes do you think it'll take to dispel?"
"...Uh, 30 minutes. Or if I rush, 10..."
My gaze was still fixed on the spell.
At that moment, a drowsy yet excited voice rang in my ears.
"I seeee— So 10 minutes, huh."
"...What was that reaction."
"Huh? Just that it seems sufficient?"
The me in the memory furrowed my brows.
Her tone was off.
Like the leisure of someone with a plan.
Mischief, playfulness,
and something unfamiliar all mixed in.
My gaze turned to the woman.
The woman
was smiling innocently.
But...
Behind her smile flowed a strange aura.
Her familiar face felt alien for some reason.
It had to be
those eyes.
The eyes of a predator ready to devour me whole.
"Then, you can't escape for 10 minutes."
"......What?"
A chill raced up my spine.
The incongruous feeling leaking from her familiar face
slowly eroded my entire body.
Clearly,
something was wrong.
At that instant, my abdomen felt cool.
By the time I noticed my pants loosening, the button was already undone.
"...Wait. Why are you undoing my pants button?"
"Huh? Well..."
The woman leaned toward me.
The precariously hanging blouse button popped off with a 'tick'.
As if it didn't matter,
the beaming woman straddled my legs and bent at the waist.
With a smile impossible to tell if playful or serious.
But
her eyes remained
those of a beast facing prey.
The woman looking down at me gently stroked my cheek.
"To eat you up, Row?"
"...Wait. What do you mean."
"Itadakimasu♥"
The woman slowly curled her lips and loomed over my body.
Slowly, leisurely, as if savoring the hunt.
At that moment—
My vision returned.
"...Huh?"
"......?"
The Girl Child was looking at me with worried eyes.
Only then did I gasp in shock.
Touching my forehead, cold sweat beaded on my palm.
"What was that just now..."
"???"
A string of incomprehensible situations.
The more I thought, the more confused I got.
The scene I'd just witnessed felt utterly unreal.
I checked the Girl Child.
As always,
her small, warm hand held me.
Pure eyes,
filled only with worry and fear.
It was all the familiar Girl Child I knew.
No intent to devour me,
no predatory greed in her eyes.
'Why would this child try to eat me...?'
The more I thought, the more alien it felt.
She'd grown a lot,
but it was clearly the same face, same eyes, same person.
Yet it felt like seeing someone else.
At that moment,
something flashed through my mind.
The pants coming undone,
the contrived situation,
the words about eating me.
Clearly—
she was trying to eat my tail.
'Is my tail that delicious? Enough to change even the child's personality?'
Just in case,
I subtly revealed my tail.
The Girl Child's eyes sparkled.
Her gaze locked on instantly.
Her lips parted slightly, and her small fingers twitched.
'I haven't fed her any yet...'
Yet she liked my tail this much.
It was a pretty plausible hypothesis.
'...I should teach her properly.'
That she didn't need such violent methods—I could gladly give her my tail.
Watching the Girl Child fiddle with my tail, I spoke.
"Hey."
"......?"
"My tail regenerates quickly, so if you want to eat it, just say so and I can cut it off right away."
"?!?!!"
The Girl Child's eyes widened.
She shook her head vigorously.
Not enough—she flailed her hands and her eyes welled with tears.
"...Don't want to eat it?"
"!!!"
"Yeah. You still have an aversion to meat, huh..."
"?!"
"Huh? Not that?"
I didn't know what was going on, but...
For now, I hugged the sniffling Girl Child.
Her small back trembled in my arms.
I slowly stroked her head.
"Sorry. I won't say that again."
"......"
"...Won't make you eat my tail either."
Only then did the Girl Child slowly lift her head.
Her eyes were red and swollen, filled with hurt.
'She hates it this much...'
I was convinced.
That memory couldn't be from my timeline.
Then,
best to bury it deep in my memories.
Dwelling on it would just tire me out.
Gently caressing the Girl Child,
I carefully locked away the memory.