Chapter 59
Step Out and Walk
Translator : PolterGlast
Socius's offer was a
welcome one for me. But to be honest, I hesitated, wondering if it was really
okay. Even though we had come all the way to the Magic Tower, if it was ever
discovered that he had helped us, Socius would undoubtedly be expelled from
this city.
Clenching my hands
together, I pursed my lips and looked away, and as if he had read my thoughts,
the boy murmured with a smile, "It's okay."
"It's okay. I
came here hoping that if I could ever meet El again, I could be of some help. I
have nothing else. So, I thought I had to first learn what I could do."
--I want to know about
demons.
Lotus had told me that
in the city of Velvect. He too had a childhood friend who had become a demon
and disappeared when he was young. He said they had probably died. Perhaps
there was something that overlapped in his own past. Before I knew it, Lotus
was ruffling Socius's hair vigorously. "W-w-wha!!?" "Lotus,
Socius is small, but he's fourteen... head pats are complicated at that age."
"Hmm? Sorry."
He was a young man
with a tendency to want to take care of children. If Lotus had a title in his
stats, it might read something like 【Strongest Overprotective Mom-Knight】.
Socius, who had
escaped Lotus's full-force head pat attack, hid his head with both hands and
huffed with teary eyes, but then he straightened up, pouting.
"A-anyway!"
"If I can't be of
help here, then I don't know why I came to this tower. I'll regret it for the
rest of my life. So, I'll take you to the place where the Mirror of Foresight
is!"
***
In the now completely
dark hallway, we proceeded slowly, carrying a lamp.
At the determined
boy's words, I said "Thank you" and accepted his offer. No other
words came out. There were surely things that had to be accepted.
So, we formed a circle
and immediately held a strategy meeting. Ichi and the others, to set the mood,
vibrated with a sugogogogosugogogogo sound, creating an atmosphere full of
realism. You didn't have to do that, you know.
『The Magic Tower basically holds classes during the
day, so acting during that time is definitely something we should avoid. That
being said, researchers tend to become active late at night. So, it's after
dark, but not yet midnight. I think this time is the most suitable for action.』
I deeply nodded, as I
was all too familiar with the phenomenon of getting inexplicably energized and
productive late at night. Lotus had a look of utter incomprehension. An
unbridgeable wall existed right there.
『We should probably wear the robes. El... should
probably be in your, you know, grown-up form, not your original one.』
『You mean I should become curvaceous, right?』
『No!!』
Compared to Lotus's
generally unflappable reactions, Socius's reaction was refreshing. His ears
turned completely red.
『Only those thirteen years old and older can enter the
tower. I've been here for a year. El is... a little too young. You'll probably
stand out a bit.』
Since I was currently
eleven, I could argue that I was just a little short, but it was better not to stand
out if possible. Socius only had one permit. Regardless of whether I was a
demon or not, if it was discovered that I wasn't affiliated with the tower, it
would be game over immediately. So, it was better to have some hope.
And so, I reapplied my
illusion skill, and Ichi was leading the way. Nii was at the very end, and San
was to relay any messages from them in case. Then it was Socius, me, and Lotus
in that order. While holding San in my arms, I confidently proceeded forward
with Socius, who had the permit, in front.
For some reason, there
was a strong sense of stability. The people we occasionally passed were all
acquaintances of Socius, and even though I had been on the verge of tears just
moments before, he replied with a confident "Hey" and nodded to them,
and I followed suit. As we repeated this with one person after another, I
gradually looked forward and puffed out my chest. My vision remained narrow
because of the heavy hood, but why was it that...
(Something's amazing.)
Yes, I thought it was
amazing.
I remembered the very
beginning. Running away, realizing I was the villain in an otome game, feeling
helpless, and collapsing alone in the forest. Then, meeting Ichi and the
others, parting ways, and meeting Lotus. Tentatively, nervously, I was taken
care of by the people at the Harapeko-tei and worked with the landlady and
Sutra-san. Lotus was a scary person. But he was actually a good person and
friends with Yozaki-san, the gatekeeper who had grabbed me by the scruff of my
neck.
Reuniting with Ichi
and the others, traveling with Lotus, experiencing various encounters and
farewells, and now I was with Socius, whom I was supposed to have parted with
at the beginning.
Everyone was in a
line, moving steadily forward, zun, zun, and I thought that this very moment
felt somehow amazing.
The corners of my
mouth involuntarily loosened, and I felt a strange tingling sensation. Surely,
no one could understand my feelings at this moment. My heart was pounding and
squeezing.
"We're almost
there. We should be almost near the ground now."
The place where the
Mirror of Foresight was located was on the first floor at the very bottom of
the tower, accessible through a small door. The door was locked, but the
security was actually not that great. That was because no one knew that the
Mirror of Foresight was in this place.
I placed my palm on
the door we had reached and gently used the Wall Climbing Skill. This skill
allowed me not only to climb walls but also to understand the structure of
buildings. Without a doubt, there was a large space beyond the door. There was
a small indentation on the door. "Socius, could you lend me that for a
moment?" I pointed to the permit badge on his chest. Socius widened his
eyes and blinked once, but then quickly took it off and placed it on the palm
of my hand.
The permit badge was
shaped like a leaf, as lush and green as a leaf flourishing on a summer day. I
hadn't known in the game that this was the permit, but since the item had an
image, it clicked immediately. I confirmed the shape with my fingertip and
fitted it into the indentation. This alone wouldn't open it. A spell was
needed.
I slowly inhaled and
placed my hand on the doorknob.
"...Branch of the
World Tree. To the Magic Tower."
It was the exact same
password as when I used the shortcut function.
Beyond the door, a
quiet moonlight spilled in. The space where the center of the tower had been
hollowed out continued straight up endlessly, cutting out the cloudless night
sky.
Only one large, sturdy
tree stood there. On its spreading branches, a fresh, leafy branch, very
similar to the badge, gently extended an arm.
Without even a breeze,
the closed-off place felt like being inside a glass ball. Even the air seemed
to linger there, and the moonlight was soft.
I slowly took a step
forward. The sensation of grass told me through the soles of my shoes. Despite
being a place that should have had little water, the vegetation was lush, a
scene more unreal than anywhere else in this country.
"Well, good
evening."
Suddenly, I heard a
man's voice from somewhere. After tilting my head, I gasped. Someone was there.
The man was right next
to me. Yet, strangely, I hadn't noticed him at all. A slender, delicate shakujo
chimed softly.
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