Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Episode 74
EP19 - Glass Butterfly (2)
“…Ah, seriously.”
I didn’t expect any reaction from Gray. However, He had a frozen expression. He seemed confused.
“This is driving me crazy….”
Eventually, Gray laughed awkwardly.
“How did you do it…?”
“Why.”
“What do you mean, ‘why’….”
“Did I do well?”
“Ah, what nonsense are you spouting, seriously….”
Gray, who playfully expressed annoyance, looked at me with slightly more subtle eyes.
“How did you do it…? It’s not like it’s our family’s thing. Someone who’s never even learned it? I was so surprised just now….”
“Your expression didn’t show it at all.”
“I don’t know what kind of expression I should make…. No, so how exactly did you do it right away?”
“Well. I’ll continue learning what I need to learn.”
“Learn what?”
“Didn’t you say that after several butterflies appear, there’s one more? You have to complete that to call it [Embroidery].”
“Yeah. But wait a minute. I need to go to the laundry room for a sec.”
“Why the laundry room?”
“I was so surprised just now that I had a little accident….”
Then Gray gathered His legs and twisted them together.
With a playful expression.
Ugh, how dirty.
I really hate unsanitary things.
“……That’s a filthy joke.”
I said with a serious face, suffering.
I guess that reaction was funny.
Since I’m always so serious.
“Eung?”
Then Gray smiled, arching His eyes like crescents.
“A joke? It’s the truth?”
“…Okay.”
“No, why don’t you believe me? It’s damp right now.”
“Stop.”
I frowned, and Gray laughed even louder.
“…I’ll be waiting.”
“Eung. I’ll be back. But it’ll take a while. I have to wash it.”
This bastard.
“Gray Habanero.”
“Kyahahat…! Ah, sorry, sorry~♡”
“Keep the dirty talk to a minimum.”
“Okay! But do you know Professor’s reaction was so funny? He was so flustered. Cute.”
“…….”
“Ah, okay. Okay…! Don’t be so serious. Woong? I’ll be back……!”
So I was teased by someone so much younger.
Anyway. While Gray was out of the lecture hall for a moment, I was lost in thought.
I briefly thought about the Habanero family.
About the past of that Beast-person and the heterogeneous [Illusion Magic] called 『Glass Butterfly』.
Originally, [Illusion Magic] was the exclusive domain of magicians, but one exception was the Habanero family’s [Illusion Magic].
The basic setting is this.
Long ago.
There was a cat Beast-person close to humans.
Once, He lived in a human’s house, receiving love.
One day, He was abandoned by the human.
Life continued for the abandoned cat.
One day, living quietly alone.
He saw a fluttering blue butterfly.
The cat was curious and followed it into the forest. But the butterfly disappeared somewhere. The cat had to return dejectedly.
When He fell asleep in the cave. The cat experienced becoming a butterfly.
It was very happy to fly freely in the dream. The cat, who became a butterfly, could become anything. He could go anywhere.
He could become a flower, a tree, a longing existence.
He could go to the river, on the tree, on the fires of hell.
After waking up. The cat began to create a Superpower based on that intense experience, which soon became the Habanero family’s unique Illusion Magic.
『 Glass Butterfly 』
This Illusion Magic is very different from other Illusion Magic, even though it is [Illusion Magic], it does not have any circuits, formulas, or systems.
It only implements [Illusions] with mental imagery and Mana.
The more concrete the mental imagery, the better the image can be formed.
But human memories tend to be blurred. Even if the mental imagery is concrete, it is close to dot graphics.
Close your eyes and think of an apple right now.
15% of humans cannot even recall it. No picture is drawn in their heads.
Among the remaining 85%, half recall a rough image.
About 40% can recall a clear image.
About 5% of the minority can recall a very, very clear image like a photograph.
Even with that, 『Glass Butterfly』 cannot be handled.
In order to handle 『Glass Butterfly』, the image that comes to mind must be much more specific. To the level where objects or phenomena are visible in front of you.
Something that is not there at all.
Must be there.
The point where creativity is needed.
But creativity is a ‘new connection of unrelated and disparate elements.’
Elements can be found in the drawer called ‘memory.’
In other words, Gray has a much clearer memory than others.
To the extent that, if She tries to recall, She can count the number of strands of hair on my forehead the first day we met.
And He stores those memories like books and builds a high tower.
That is the Habanero family’s bloodline inheritance ability.
「 Cat Tower Record 」
Unfortunately, I don’t have that ability now.
Nevertheless, I implemented the third form of 『Glass Butterfly』, [Embroidery], almost perfectly.
To the point that Gray, who was watching, was shocked.
But. That was not a pure fact.
I still can’t use 『Glass Butterfly』.
Nevertheless, the reason why I implemented [Embroidery] almost perfectly is because,
I 『Fabricated』 『Glass Butterfly』.
‘It’s as expected.’
『World Fabrication』 could even fabricate 『Glass Butterfly』.
Since the Superpower is implemented through Superpower, the Mana efficiency was terrible, but it was definitely an almost perfect 『Glass Butterfly』.
‘It feels like I’ve stepped into a new major.’
Just like you need to know everything about a banknote when making counterfeit money. I was completely immersed in a completely different Illusion Magic system and raised my understanding.
I was really learning [Illusion Magic] from Gray.
“Professor. I’m back.”
“Let’s continue.”
“Okay. But wait a minute~ Hmm.”
Gray rummaged through His crossbody bag for a long time.
“Oh. Where did it go? I brought it.”
“What are you looking for?”
“No, I thought Professor wouldn’t believe me. I was going to show you….”
“??”
After finishing speaking, Gray slightly gathered His legs.
With a playful expression on His face.
“……Hey, you.”
I don’t know what kind of expression I’m making.
But it seemed funny.
Because Gray burst out laughing.
“Kyah, ahahahaha!!”
It was a mistake. In the first place, I shouldn’t have shown that I hated unsanitary jokes.
These cat-like beings always try to play with humans like this.
“Are you that embarrassed?”
“…….”
“Professor. You’re a complete virgin loser, right? Pathetic♡”
I can’t take it anymore.
“I’ll end the class here.”
“Woong?”
When I got up, Gray waved His hands.
“Ah, okay, okay. The joke’s over….”
“…….”
“Uh-oh, are you really leaving? Really? It was all a joke…?”
“…….”
“Ah, no…. Don’t leave, don’t leave…! Gray was wrong…! I won’t joke anymore……!”
* * *
“Then shall we try up to the 4th form today?”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Ha, it really took me three months to do this….”
Returning, I learned about the 4th form [Dream Weave]. It is about changing the butterflies that have been created into different forms.
“In simple terms, ‘butterflies’ are used as materials for Illusion Magic.”
First, fly the butterflies.
Then, replace those butterflies with [Illusion Magic].
“First, if you follow me….”
The advantage of this 『Glass Butterfly』 was that it ‘cannot be understood’ by a general Magic system.
Just as a coding expert cannot understand the operating system of a Magic mirror.
Only those who understand the Superpower can understand the Superpower system that was created spontaneously, outside the rules of the world.
Therefore, neither assassins nor magicians can understand 『Glass Butterfly』.
“Are the wings sparkling?”
“Indeed.”
“Good job. I can’t see it like that, so it’s a success.”
To make an analogy, it’s like Korean or Chinese characters seen from the English-speaking world.
The confusion that someone who has only learned the arrangement of alphabets feels when seeing characters from a completely different system.
“『Glass Butterfly』 is also a little strong against physical force, so if someone tries to break it like this…. Did you see?”
“You changed it into a butterfly.”
“Oh, that’s right. Then you can avoid physical impact. So if you quickly go back and forth between the butterfly and the Illusion Magic, it looks like it’s cut off to others. But the sword has penetrated it. And the Illusion Magic hasn’t been broken.”
The scheduled private lesson was 3 hours.
However, as I learned, it became more and more interesting. Me and Gray became more immersed and began to delve into 『Glass Butterfly』.
“Huh? What are you doing, Professor?”
“…Um.”
“Those butterflies are running away?”
“They’re not listening to my orders.”
“Eh? That’s weird. But all the other butterflies listen well.”
It was the first time I had come into this body and learned from someone.
However, the reason why that learning time was enjoyable was because.
I was quick to learn.
“Eung, good….”
“Look at the butterflies there and imagine. What Professor wants to change them into. Uh-huh. More specifically….”
“That’s right. That’s it. Good job.”
“Professor, you’re good….”
That was why Gray was more friendly than I had imagined.
“Uh-huh. A little more this way….”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“Good job….”
⋮
Time passed and it was 12 AM.
I received several phone calls.
Lucy, the maid at the academy, scolded Gray for not coming in yet, and Adele scolded me. But the class didn’t end.
Time passed again and around 4 AM. From the lecture hall floor where a butterfly landed, mountains and fields unfolded. To make an analogy, it is similar to [Space Forgery].
The completion of the 4th form [Dream Weave] of 『Glass Butterfly』.
“Is this a success?”
“Ah, please stop doing that…. Why do you keep asking? You know everything yourself….”
Unlike His blunt words, Gray’s eyes were dazed.
“You worked hard….”
“You too, you’ve done a great job.”
“I didn’t know you’d come this far in just one day…. Professor, you’re not actually a Habanero, are you…?”
“Dante Habanero?”
“I mean.”
Gray laughed absurdly. I was a little amused too.
After that, Gray blankly looked at the mountains and fields, and the butterflies that I had created.
For a long time.
“…….”
Having His family massacred in His childhood, the 『Glass Butterfly』 that bloomed from someone else’s hands must have been the first time He had seen it in a long time. I couldn’t know how Gray felt seeing it.
However, Gray turned to me with a blank expression.
And asked this.
“…How is it? After learning it…??”
A word thrown casually.
It was a question with some intention. And I knew the answer Gray wanted.
“What.”
“…No, how is it. 『Glass Butterfly』.”
“What?”
“Ani, Professor, you know everything, but you’re doing it on purpose, right…?”
“What.”
“……Just die.”
Disappointment is formed in His expressionless face.
“…Well, Professor already knows a lot of great Illusion Magic. Never mind….”
“How is 『Glass Butterfly』.”
“No? Just, you don’t have to answer…….”
“I’ll answer when I get there.”
“…Where?”
“The laundry room.”
“……?”
Gray lowered His head.
To hide His twitching lips.
“Ah, seriously, you’re like an old man…. That’s not how you do it…? You should at least pretend to pee your pants….”
Let’s stop joking here.
“To be honest, I think 『Glass Butterfly』 is a [Illusion Magic] that is competitive throughout the continent.”
“…Eh?”
“In the increasingly sophisticated level of the warriors, Illusion Magic with such a high level of Discernment difficulty is valuable. In the first place, there is also a system created by the founder of Habanero that reaches level 9. If you reach that level, even [Challenger]s won’t be able to Discern it.”
“…….”
“『Glass Butterfly』 is an excellent Superpower. In addition, you also have enough room to contribute to Hiaka’s pure Illusion Magic.”
Gray rested His chin and covered half of His mouth.
Then, looking into the distance, He muttered softly.
“…Continentally, excellent…? Hmm, is that so…?”
He turned His head coyly.
But He couldn’t hide His fangs.
“…Is it that good…?”
At the same time, He couldn’t hide the status window either.
┃ Relationship Stat increased: Gray [43] (▲13)
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 13