Chapter 10: A Sweet Scent

R‌eãd& ;óǹ ́Kat​Я&e;ädin‌g‌​Ｃａf&e;

Let’s break down the scenes Sugar appeared in during the original game.

She was a character who would suddenly appear when the protagonist was stuck or needed a break, give them a quest, and then vanish just as mysteriously.

She was a mysterious figure who provided hints through quest items or made cryptic remarks about the story’s progression.

Because of this, there was no opportunity to learn in detail about Sugar’s mana properties. Unlike the other main characters, she didn’t join the party, go on adventures, or fight monsters together.

Later, when the story’s mysteries were unraveled and Sugar’s true nature was revealed, it was only mentioned that she had “pure mana” and “a larger amount of mana than others.”

So, while she didn’t know how her mana would react to others’, today’s experience and conversation gave her a rough idea.

And from that, she drew a conclusion.

If her body doesn’t react to mana, then let’s keep injecting it until it does.

Even if Sugar’s mana has the property of assimilating with other mana, her body still has its limits. Just like a balloon will burst if you blow too much air into it, if her body exceeds its capacity for mana, it will break down.

The reason she could withstand the evil god was because it didn’t actively inject its power into her. Sugar simply adapted to and endured the “influence.”

This idea came to her while realizing that, like ordinary people, she too had limits.

If she overloads her body with mana until it reaches its limit, wouldn’t she be able to sense the abnormalities in her body?

And based on that, wouldn’t she be able to identify her mana pathways?

“…Have you actually lost your mind?”

Tommy’s reaction perfectly illustrated just how stupid this plan was. It wasn’t his usual prickly expression either. There was a hint of pity in his voice, as if he was genuinely concerned.

“There’s no other way, is there? Do you have one?”

“…No.”

“Then we have no choice. I think I’ll be fine. We can stop before it gets too dangerous. Isn’t that okay?”

~I can’t feel heat, so if I throw myself into a fire, won’t I be able to feel it? As long as I escape before my body burns completely~

Her reasoning was exactly like this. Tommy covered his eyes, unsure where to even begin criticizing her.

“First reason why it won’t work… we don’t know your mana limit. If we misjudge the timing even slightly, it’ll overflow. From what I’ve seen, your constitution is unique, so it’ll be even harder to gauge. You might not even have time to say anything before your body gives out.”

“I understand that.”

“Second. Let’s say something goes wrong due to mana overload. There’s no one here to fix it. We’d need a skilled mage who knows how to handle this, but there’s no way someone like that is in a place like this. Even if there were, do you think the adults here would spend money to bring a mage just for you? You’d just die.”

He spoke with emotion in his voice, though even Tommy himself didn’t know why. If things went wrong, couldn’t he just use her as a sacrifice for the grimoire? So why did he feel this suffocating discomfort?

As if to soothe that feeling, Sugar asked in a light, breezy voice.

“What about you?”

“Huh?”

“A skilled mage who knows how to handle it. You’d know how to deal with it, right?”

“I do know, but…”

“Then it’s settled. Let’s do it.”

“But I’ve only ever known it in theory! I’ve never actually tried it! And besides… I’m not even a skilled mage…”

He didn’t even have a proper wand, let alone a teacher. It was embarrassing to even call himself a mage.

The more he thought about it, the more miserable he felt.

Right now, someone out there was probably learning magic in a wealthy home, showered with their parents’ love and expectations. Someone else might be studying under a famous mage, absorbing and refining techniques accumulated over centuries.

Those were the real mages.

He was just a half-baked existence relying on a power he couldn’t even reveal to the world. That’s why he needed to finish deciphering the grimoire quickly and step into the light, hiding its existence.

But what was he doing now?

Starting with a method that should’ve worked in theory but didn’t, getting teased by the girl he was supposed to sacrifice.

And now, she was proposing a method that was practically suicide, and instead of welcoming it with open arms, he wanted to stop her.

He was putting in the effort, but he couldn’t even introduce himself as a mage to others.

He didn’t understand his own feelings, nor did he know how to change this situation. He just felt suffocated. It wasn’t any different from those days when he could do nothing.

‘What kind of mage am I…?’

Sugar watched Tommy silently for a moment before walking over and patting his back.

She realized she had gone too far. Asking someone to do something that could kill them was too much.

To her, he was her only lifeline, and she had clung to him out of desperation. But she had forgotten that, no matter how mature he acted, he was still just a child.

‘Relying on him too much isn’t good either.’

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry, Tommy. Let’s pretend this never happened.”

Tommy’s mood had soured not because of the responsibility placed on him, but because of the inferiority complex he had been carrying for so long.

Unaware of this, Sugar could only apologize and hug him.

“…W-Wait! What are you doing?!”

“Hugging you.”

“I know that! Why are you suddenly hugging me?!”

“Because… you looked so down. I feel like I put too much pressure on you by bringing it up. I’m sorry.”

No matter how desperate she was for her own survival, pushing a child like this was wrong. With that in mind, Sugar offered a sincere apology.

One moment she was acting like a mischievous kid, and the next she was like this. It was impossible to figure her out.

‘She’s definitely doing this to tease me later.’

Tommy squirmed, determined not to fall for it again. But at some point, he calmed down.

Her soothing voice, the gentle pats on his back.

His distrust and anxiety melted away, leaving only a sense of calm.

Had he ever been hugged like this before in his life? Thinking about it, the first compliment he ever received was also from Sugar.

It was a strange feeling.

The warmth he felt from this act, something his parents had never done for him, brought with it a melancholy for the past and a strange sense of peace.

“…”

He took a deep breath.

A sweet scent wafted from her small frame.

“Heehee…”

Her laughter tickled his ears, and he rolled his eyes upward to look at her.

There, with an infinitely gentle smile, was the girl. Her eyes, sparkling like gemstones under the light of the magical glow, looked down at Tommy.

“It tickles.”

Hearing her soft whisper,

he snapped back to reality.

‘What am I doing right now?’

He was being hugged by a girl his age.

He was being hugged by the mischievous girl who always teased him, feeling the comfort of a child in their parent’s arms, breathing in her scent—

“—Ahhh!!”

The moment he realized, he scrambled to get away.

He ran to the attic window and plastered himself against it. At least he didn’t run downstairs, so maybe he had grown a little. …Maybe.

“A-Are you okay?”

‘I think I hated being hugged at that age too because it was embarrassing, but do they usually hate it that much?’

Sugar, worried that Tommy might have lost his mind from stress, approached him.

“D-D-Don’t come closer. Stay there. You don’t have to come over. I’m fine.”

He didn’t want to be near her, afraid he’d start thinking about her scent again. Tommy, his face bright red, held out his hand to stop her.

“…Are you really okay?”

“Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Let me say it again, forget what I said earlier…”

“…Honestly, I don’t care what happens.”

“Huh?”

“Whether you live or die isn’t my problem.”

He was being prickly.

“If you thought I was upset because of that, you were wrong. I was just… thinking too much earlier. It wasn’t because of you, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

He was being extra prickly.

“Since there’s no other way… if you really want to do it, I guess we have to. Even if it goes wrong, don’t blame me. I warned you plenty.”

His furrowed brow, sharp eyes, and the usual annoyed expression—Tommy was back to his usual self. The kind of kid who’d snap back if you poked him.

This is it, this is it. Sugar nodded in satisfaction.

.

.

.

“Are you really sure? Really?”

“Yeah.”

“By the time you feel something wrong with your body, it might already be too late. Before you can even say ‘Stop!’, your body could break down, and you might never live a normal life—”

“Ugh. I said I’m fine. How many times is this? You said you don’t care if I live or die.”

“I-It’s about dealing with the body. Even though it’s 100% your decision to start this, technically, I’d be the one killing you, so I’d rather avoid that if possible…”

“I won’t die.”

Sugar, who had turned slightly, had a smile on her face.

Tommy frowned, not understanding what gave her the confidence to declare that so boldly.

“Don’t come begging if something goes wrong.”

“Nothing will go wrong, so there’s no need for that.”

“What makes you so confident?”

“You. I believe that even if something goes wrong, you’ll figure something out.”

“…Don’t count on it.”

Though her smug expression was clearly meant to provoke him, there was some truth to her belief. He was quick-witted and smart, so he’d probably figure something out.

“And I don’t want to die yet. I definitely won’t die.”

She had an indescribable confidence in herself.

There must be some meaning to her being reincarnated into this world and this body. There’s no way she’d die so suddenly here.

Besides, she couldn’t burden young Tommy with such a heavy responsibility. No matter what, she would survive.

“Ah. But if something does go wrong, bury me in a sunny place.”

“I’ll throw you in the sewer.”

A sunny place? If she’s on the verge of death, she’ll just become food for the grimoire.

Tommy, thinking such wicked thoughts,

“…I’ll do my best.”

He also wanted to see her succeed and achieve something magical. He muttered softly and closed his eyes.

Mana began to swirl around his hand.