Common Ground

Whether she felt I had been given a sufficient explanation or not, Ellie didn’t try to persuade me any further. Perhaps she knew that any more persuasion might seem like she wasn’t respecting my choice, or that it could plant seeds of doubt and unease about my decision.

Now, we returned to the main point: figuring out how to safely stop my heart. No matter what talent I chose with the quantum jump, the plan would fail if I couldn’t find a way to sever the connection with Roel.

Because our conversation had dragged on, it seemed the short winter day was already over. Since the table where we were sitting was located in a corner out of sight, it felt darker than the rest of the area, even though the lights were brightly lit.

It seemed this seat was Ellie’s usual spot, as she took out her staff with a familiar air.

When Ellie waved her staff, a sphere emitting light that wasn’t painful to the eyes floated above her head. Watching her twist the staff to adjust the intensity of the light made me want to learn magic.

Of course, it was simple magic that could be easily replicated with magic engineering. But there’s a big difference between simply waving a staff and creating something using magic stones and other tools. The biggest problem is that the hassle outweighs the magic, isn’t it?

Ellie, having put away her staff, shrugged as if it were nothing and gave me a smiling look. She must have noticed my envious gaze.

“I’ll teach you magic separately when I have some free time later.”

“Well, I’d like that.”

If everything goes well and we reach a happy ending, I’ll have enough free time to leisurely learn magic. By then, I’ll probably be a famous archmage, so it’s good to make a promise in advance. After all, future promises are based on the positive thought that everything will work out well.

Ellie returned Patouga’s grimoire to me and, after tidying up the books spread out on the table, gave a meaningful smile.

“Thanks to receiving your memories, I was able to glimpse the problems with my magical structure that I hadn’t been able to solve, and the direction of its development. I could roughly copy how to complete a spell in a spiral structure, though it’s just a rough copy.”

“Well, I’m glad if it helped.”

“‘Helped’ is an understatement. This alone saved me years. I’ve probably become three times stronger than yesterday? Just observing the magic used by my future self was enough to ‘understand’ the logic.”

It seems that just seeing her future self use magic allows a natural genius to grow tremendously. Seeing the burning passion in her obsidian-like eyes, it seems she plans to stay up all night digesting all the memories she gained from me. Ellie pondered for a moment whether she hadn’t forgotten her priorities, then opened her mouth.

“First, we need to find a way to safely stop your heart. Fortunately, there are various books related to black magic in the forbidden section.”

Ellie got up and started looking for books on black magic. After putting the Patouga’s grimoire she was holding into her spatial storage, I followed Ellie.

After taking out a book, opening it, and putting it back in place dozens of times, Ellie nodded and whispered.

“I found it.”

At those words, I quickly stuck close to Ellie and looked at the book together. As Ellie flipped through the pages, examining the contents of the book, her finger stopped as if pointing to a certain spot.

Ellie quickly read it and turned to me. We were so close that our shoulders were touching, and I could see my expression reflected in her obsidian-like eyes.

“Do you know that alchemy is included in black magic?”

“No, I’m ignorant when it comes to black magic.”

Things like magic engineering or alchemy, where I didn’t set detailed content in a superficial way, are mostly filled with plausible things due to plausibility. Of course, since there were no detailed settings for black mages either, it was the first time I’d heard that alchemy was involved.

“I thought so, so I asked. Black magic is something that comes up in magic major classes in the fourth grade. Now, let me explain.”

With those words, Ellie turned her head to the book and continued her explanation.

“Things related to creation, like homunculi in alchemy, mostly originate from black magic. There was no distinction called black magic in the old days. Homunculus-like dolls are made to perform various roles, but in cases related to black magic, they are often made as sacrifices to pay for the user’s life or other costs.”

Ellie pointed to the content labeled [Sacrificial Sacrifice] with her finger.

“This is?”

“This is a black magic that redirects the attack received by the black mage to the homunculus. Even if the black mage’s heart is pierced by a sword, it’s actually the homunculus who dies from the pierced heart. As the name suggests, the sacrifice sacrifices instead.”

At Ellie’s kind explanation, I scratched my head and asked.

“What does this have to do with severing the connection with Roel?”

Thanks to my knowledge of magic engineering, I know a certain amount about alchemy, but alchemy related to creation, like homunculi, was something only a magic tower master could do. It felt far from a method we could use right now.

But Ellie seemed to have other ideas, as she only shrugged.

“Yeah. Did you forget what my specialty is?”

“Making my heart ache?”

When I answered playfully, Ellie pouted as if she was sulking. Still, since she had a previous record, she didn’t argue much. She just glared at me with a dissatisfied look.

“It’s synthesis magic, you know.”

Certainly, Ellie’s specialty was synthesis magic. After all, my childhood friend Ellie was a genius of magic who integrated all elemental magic based on that.

“…You have so many specialties. I couldn’t pick just one.”

As if to appease her sulking, I flattered her like that, and Ellie snorted with a look of disgust. Then, she pinched my waist hard with her index finger and thumb.

“Ah, aack! Hey, that really hurts.”

“Shh, don’t you know you have to be quiet in the library?”

As I writhed in pain, Ellie hummed a tune with a satisfied smile. Ellie definitely has excellent sadistic tendencies.

“You being slick isn’t so bad either. Except for being a little cheeky.”

When Ellie said she would pinch me again if I acted up, I pretended to zip my lips, and Ellie continued her explanation.

“The principle of synthesis magic is to cut out the unique formulas of two different magics and safely attach them to the structure of a new formula. Then, a completely new type of formula is born.”

“It sounds difficult just listening to the explanation.”

“Of course, it’s difficult. That’s why I’m the only mage who mainly uses synthesis magic because the risk is so high. Anyway, what we’re taking from this sacrificial sacrifice magic is the principle of life sharing. If I use this with other black magic I know… Even if my heart stops, I won’t actually die because I’m sharing my life with something else.”

I could roughly understand the principle of the method Ellie was talking about. Certainly, getting Ellie’s help with the magic-related direction was the right answer. It was a method I would never have approached on my own. But there was a problem.

“Even if we extract the principle of life sharing from the black magic of sacrificial sacrifice… you know we don’t have a homunculus to sacrifice, right?”

At those words, Ellie gave a strange smile. For some reason, that smile felt ominous, and I asked with a look of disbelief.

“…Don’t tell me, you’re not thinking of becoming the sacrifice, are you?”

“…”

“Answer me, Ellie. Are you serious? Did you really think I would agree to that?”

As I shook my head in disbelief, Ellie sighed.

“This isn’t as bad a method as you think.”

“It’s a bad idea. You could be in danger too if something goes wrong.”

At my immediate answer, Ellie fidgeted with her fingers and then grabbed my hand. We naturally looked at each other.

“You made an unreasonable request to kill you, but you don’t want me to be in danger?”

As expected, Ellie was sharp. I couldn’t argue and rubbed my forehead. At Ellie’s action of squeezing my hand as if urging me to answer, I turned my gaze to the book and gave a bitter smile.

“…You know. What you mean to me.”

“I feel the same way. To ask me, who feels that way, to kill you, Ross, you’re really a bad childhood friend.”

Ellie pulled my hand, telling me to look at her. When I reluctantly turned my head, Ellie smiled brightly and said.

“Since I entrusted my heart to you, I’m just entrusting my heart to you too. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to think that if something goes wrong, we’ll die together, rather than worrying about what I might do?”

It was a question not worth pondering, so I answered immediately without thinking.

“I trust you even without that.”

Ellie, who had been staring at me intently, gave a seductive smile.

“If you trust me that much, you can trust that this is the right answer, right?”

We’ve been childhood friends for a long time, so it seems we have a lot in common. Realizing that persuasion was impossible with Ellie’s resolute eyes, I let out a sigh mixed with gloom.