episode_0031

*****

“Wow, I’m glad, Fafnir~!”

“Wow. Are you okay, Raon? Even if I move like this?”

“It’s not okay, it hurts a lot, wow~!”

The situation was resolved so quickly that it seemed like a lie that it took a considerable amount of time to struggle.

The best news is that there were no major injuries. Here, a major injury means a fatal wound that cannot be reversed even with recovery magic.

Of course, since it is a hospital, it is not good to make too much noise. However, since there was no particularly large-scale incident this time and the hospital was quiet, it probably didn’t matter much.

While remembering that fact, I also spoke to the girl in front of me—Marie.

“Um, hi.”

“… Hello.”

It’s awkward!

Marie turned her head and did not make eye contact with me.

Well, there was nothing I could do because it was an emergency just now, and he probably didn’t want to meet someone like me.

Still, I wanted to say thank you, so I was wondering how to continue the conversation.

“… Marie.”

“Marie? Your name?”

“… huh. You can call me that.”

I heard the name. Although I already heard it and knew it.

what? Isn’t this more likeable than you think? So I slowly leaned out and came into view, but immediately closed my eyes tightly and turned my head away. Man, I was a little hurt.

“Ah! Well, that’s not it. This is… .”

“It’s okay, I can roughly guess the situation. It’s hard to see, right?”

“… Did you know?”

“I encountered many similar cases. They say my soul looks really disgusting.”

It is said that it feels like a kind of physiological rejection. So, I have never had a good relationship with the owner of Soul City. Except for the priestess.

I was a bit shocked when I asked the person who had given me the favor to draw what he saw.

But there was another reason besides what I thought.

“Huh? Black? My soul?”

“Yes. So, I thought he was a very bad person. But if he was that bad, he wouldn’t have risked his life to help us. Even after leaving the barrier, he didn’t run away… .”

Marie bowed her head and apologized to me, saying that she must have misunderstood something.

Hmm. So, if you kill someone, it leaves a mark on their soul like a curse, and my soul is literally pitch black, right?

… What are you scared of? I really have no idea.

No, that’s right, I too have lived through fierce battles, so there have been situations beyond my control. It’s not that I don’t have any regrets. Still, I remember it properly because it is a sin I have to bear.

But no matter what, I didn’t commit such things to the point where my soul seemed completely black. It may sound stupid, but I was quite strong, so there weren’t many things that I couldn’t solve without killing myself.

“Yeah, right. It seems like it was a misunderstanding. I don’t know much about this part either. Maybe the school, or the teachers, know something?”

Therefore, I had no choice but to receive an ambiguous apology in that way. Because the pitch-black soul was not even me, it was no different from Hongduk in the night.

“Rather, I just want to say thank you. Even though I don’t want to see it that way, I told you the correct solution just now, right?”

“… That’s natural. You came to save us, and I just wanted to repay you for that… .”

“Thanks to that return, we were able to survive without any of us getting seriously hurt. You can be proud.”

In fact, if Dragon Fear had not been fully awakened at that time, it would have been a difficult fight. In response to my sincere compliment, Marie pulled the hood on her head and pressed it even more.

Around these days, only people were bigger than me, so I felt strangely pleased to see this. So the next words were said without much thought.

“Okay, then is there anything you want? I’ll do anything I can!”

“Well, then… , I wonder if that kid over there thinks I did a good job… ?”

Are you going to ask me to buy you something delicious? My simple thoughts went astray. Him? Who is he?

The direction that Marie’s finger was pointing was vague, but I had the feeling that it was pointing towards Surtur. It feels subtly different from my usual [intuition]. Is this the ‘woman’s intuition’? Puheap.

“Why Surtur? Oh, maybe──”

“That! It’s not like that, it’s just that he’s a person with a good soul. We’re just strangely comfortable together, but it’s not what you think. Yes.”

It’s a surprise. I was surprised that my previously slow tone became more than twice as fast.

Was I just conscious of Surtur being evaluated as a hero because he was the leader of the team? I was just trying to ask.

Well, given the setting of the original work, Surtur’s spirit has great tolerance. But is this ‘like that’? hmm… . I guess I’ve been in the dark about this situation for a long time.

In the end, I decided to answer honestly.

“Of course. From what I heard, it was because of your help that I figured out the structure of the barrier, and you protected Raon from exhaustion while we were fighting, right? That’s an incredible performance.”

“I see. lol… .”

A grinning mouth was peeking out from under the tightly pressed hood. It’s nice that it’s cute, but I’m a bit sorry if it was ‘like that’. Hwa-in already has a partner named Ra-on, so her chances of winning are slim.

In a situation where it was unclear whether it was an illusion or not, I was able to build intimacy with Marie through Surt’s topic.

***

Basically, people other than the hero are responsible for taking care of the hero’s work. This is both a courtesy to the heroes who risked their lives to fight, and also to increase the contribution of non-awakened people to public security.

However, that did not mean that we could completely give up on handling the matter. Especially when you are called in as a reference to an incident like now.

“Oh, it’s not really!? How many times will I be cross-examined! You already made a mess of me with mental magic!”

“The expression is a bit strange. But this is the last time, so please be patient.”

A strange situation was unfolding where a student was scolding the teacher. Especially if that teacher is Sia. I glanced at Sia to ask for an explanation of the situation.

[First of all, I have reviewed everything you mentioned. As I just said, I also used mental magic.]

That kid was a mare who came out during the battle and was suspected of being a traitor by his trainer.

[Honestly, I thought it was confirmed, but looking at the current situation, I guess nothing is definitive?]

[It’s not that there’s nothing decisive, it’s literally pure white. In any case, the principle of action that she talks about is consistent, and her motivation is not in a direction that is incomprehensible. It’s hard to say I did a good job, but… , Anyway, it’s not a sin.]

I think the most crucial thing was passing the mental magic test. Well, since Mare is not a particularly high-level hero or villain, it would have been virtually impossible to resist mental magic.

“This is really the last investigation before the verdict, so please cooperate. You don’t want to make a big deal out of it and go to court, right?”

“If I get more suspicious, I’m going to run to something like the Human Rights Commission!”

Human Rights Commission. Is it because the world is peaceful that something like that came about? Of course, it would be much better to have it than not have it.

The investigation began only after Sia turned on the tape recorder and recited the survey form in brief.

“It felt unnatural that Mair’s items were being tracked within the crack.”

“I originally put a tracking spell on my important items. This has already been proven, so I’ll skip it.”

“When I tried to reliably request support, I tried to rush in alone.”

“That’s because I have a responsibility too, so I did it to save them. Fafnir, I heard you went in alone too?”

“… The gunman said there was no reason to keep him alive instead of killing him?”

“That! I am! how! i know! I guess he saved me because he had his own reason! This is what I said before!”

Mair was quite nervous, perhaps because he had to repeat something he had already said several times. I understand how you feel. In most cases, these types of interrogations assume that the person being interrogated is guilty.

In fact, this circumstantial evidence alone is a significant threat to hero society. Because when circumstantial evidence arises, a so-called warrant, that is, permission to use mental magic, is issued. But what if that mental magic didn’t turn up any charges?

[It really doesn’t exist, right?]

[yes. What was most suspicious was why the villain didn’t kill that kid, right? First of all, there was a reasonable reason for that too. According to Mari, the villain was disguised as that kid with his whole soul. With such incredible transformation ability, it is natural that there is a penalty in that the transformation partner must be alive.]

[ah. indeed. There may be such cases.]

Then it’s over!

“… okay. I think this is enough.”

“Hmph! Everyone is so great! As if I were bad! Of course, I made some mistakes, but calling myself a spy for Genesis was too much, really!”

In the end, I compared several more situations, but there was no significant difference. The interrogation with me wasn’t very long since I had already dealt with many things like Marina and the trainer.

“Then, as your homeroom teacher and S-class hero, I will make a decision using my right of immediate decision on the spot. Hero Name Mare is subject to restrictions on the use of magical power for one year. Above.”

“Eh!? Aren’t I innocent!?”

“If the user of mental magic ended up with this result, it would be enough to be found not guilty. It won’t cause much of a difference in your real life and won’t be recorded, so be satisfied with this. Otherwise… , Are there instances in real life where you have to use mental magic?”

“Well, that can’t be possible. Ahaha… .”

“Of course, complaints are accepted at any time. Through the official route.”

Mair raised his voice at the fact that he was being punished even though he was actually innocent, but he immediately became humbled by Sia’s words. There’s no need to be that scared of Sia.

As Sia said, Mair could have protested further, but the probability of that happening was low. Going through that official route means going to a real court and having a trial.

And modern laws are very strict on the spiritual world. Perhaps the court will now applaud Sia’s ruling and not oppose it. Mair seemed to be aware of this fact and simply nodded.

[Are you okay? Honestly, it’s so clean that I’m rather suspicious.]

[I’m anxious too… . First of all, it’s the law. Isn’t it funny when a hero breaks the law?]

That too. For a hero, the law is an important rein. The moment you step away from the law, what you have is unlimited means using magical power, and such means often do not take human rights into consideration.

[And I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s not okay?]

[What are you talking about?]

Sia did not answer my question. Instead, he said this in his voice.

“Then Ami Kim, hero name Fafnir. Bobbin Park, Hero Name Mare. I will treat the two of you as parties to each contract. ”

“What!? Me, not me, me?”

I’m the one surprised now. No, why are you doing this to me!?

“The two of us are on different teams, but we are in the same class, and I thought that if we wanted to get permission to use magic in class, it would be better to have classmates rather than having to ask the teacher every time. Of course, I will also enter into a contract first. Why is it not good?”

[If that child is related to the succubus mentioned in the report, he could use magical energy. And if it is a large amount, the number of people who can detect it is limited if it is a small amount.]

“Ah, ahaha, that’s not good. I was just surprised.”

[There are other trainers besides me! He’s the team leader! Just let him do it!]

“Really? Well then, please take care of me, Amy. Is bobbin okay for you too?”

[He is a man. How do you know what they’ll do using something like this as an excuse? It was already rumored that he behaved badly. We should do this together.]

“I have no choice… . Fafnir, please take care of me for the time being.”

[I’m a man too!]

[So, are you planning to do something harsh to that kid now?]

[…] shit.]

“Fafnir?”

“Huh? Ugh! huh. okay. Please take care of me in the future. Oh, you can call me Ami. I’ll call you Bobbin too.”

“Then I will do that. I’ll take care of you for just one year, Army.”

There are many ways to restrict the use of magical power, but if you want to make it less noticeable, like now, it is done in the form of a contract. It is said that contracts made with magic are quite coercive, so they are a common method of disciplining heroes.

Me and Mair took turns looking over the contract. To give a rough overview, the main content was that Mare needed permission from me, Sia, and the trainer to use magical power other than the designated magic.

… Wow, that was really tightly planned. At this rate, even if Mare was a real spy, it seemed like he wouldn’t even dare to move. However, it was surprising that it was within a range that did not significantly interfere with daily life.

Of course, it won’t have any effect.

“… Phew. Okay, that’s it.”

Mare poured his magic power into the contract without much reaction. Of course, if you hesitate to sign a contract here, it’s no different than saying you’re a traitor, but restrictions are restrictions, so you might hesitate.

When asked about that, Mair answered in a tone of half-giving up:

“Mental magic users are used to this. Ah, I liked it because I was told I was born with good potential.”

“The future is bright, so take that as comfort. Now, let’s quickly add magic to the Army and finish it.”

“Yes─.”

By pouring in magical energy and completing the contract, this case was truly concluded.

***

ah. ah. Now, what is my name? Bobbin Park, hero name Mea, and… , This is the physical body of Genesis executive Lilith! Damn! Amazing twist!

Okay, the autosuggestion has been solved successfully. Hello, this is your Soul Sister Mare.

Actually, this expression doesn’t quite fit. Right now, I don’t have any of you, the main body and the powdered body, to listen to my report.

Even so, once a sister, always a sister. My bond with them at the soul level will never be broken.

But right now, obstacles are piling up on the road so to speak. Just because there is an obstacle doesn’t mean the road underneath disappears. If you remove the obstacle, you can go on that road again, right?

If I can somehow manage this contract that binds me, I will be able to contact the main body again.

… The problem is that the obstacle looks a bit heavy.

“How tight was it? .”

In desperate situations, I find myself talking to myself without realizing it. The person who created this contract must be paranoid.

That’s right, the main body and I are practically the same person. So, when communicating with two people, you are talking to yourself, so most restrictions can be avoided. This definition is very important in magic, especially contracts.

But this too is blocked. what! How did you know and stop it! What kind of situation are you assuming?

ha… . Still, this is a situation that should be considered fortunate. To be honest, it wasn’t strange for me to get kicked out on the spot.

Do you know the feeling of waking up and flying upside down on a flying horse? I thought my identity was revealed and they were going to drop me in the middle of the ocean.

Of course, I was appalled when I was taken to the interrogation room right after landing.

“Mair! Are you okay?”

“Marie! Did you wait? Thank you so much~.”

“What is this? that… , you’re a colleague.”

colleague. What a thrilling sound this is. Yes, one thing that saved me today was camaraderie.

This child’s defense during interrogation was quite effective. Thanks to this child, my body has only changed into a powdery version of me, but I think I mistakenly thought it was a potential that could even transform my soul.

With these two things, that illusion and my self-suggestion, I was able to safely escape the interrogation using mental magic. I’m Nice, the person from yesterday who raised Marie’s likeability rating!

“I’m sorry, Marie. You said the villain turned into me, right? You got hurt because of me for no reason.”

“Ugh. no. Because it was my fault that I only relied on soul poetry.”

“Ah. This is not the time. I should also apologize to others… .”

While walking down the hospital hallway, holding Marie’s soft hand. I thought about how I could break away from the restrictions.

The most direct way is to do something with the person responsible for the contract, the crazy butcher Titania.

Yes, too much! Out of topic! That monster can’t even make a sound even if my body comes directly to it!? The body itself is pathetic, even though the name is an executive from Genesis.

The second option is to roast and boil the trainer, the person holding the key to permission to use magical power. Compared to Titania, there is hope here.

But you’re a demon trainer, right? If you approach it too hastily, you may end up being eaten. Plus, I don’t like men. Why do I have to come into contact with a blonde and tanned man like that?

So in the end, only one answer remains.

“Sorry! I ended up like this… .”

“Ugh! Okay, okay, get away now!”

As soon as I arrived in the hospital room with Marie, I rushed at Fafnir, who had left the interrogation room before me. It’s cute how his face turns red when he crosses his arms over his chest. Is this a child who hates skinship?

Oh right. Now that I think about it, I said it was a man. It certainly looks like this, but if you look closely, you can see that feeling in many places in its behavior.

Well, she has the body of a cute girl, but the mind of a boy… .

possible!

“Oh, sorry. Still, this is a relationship that will take care of you for the next year, right? Please take care of me.”

“Shh, others will listen! If you get caught, you’ll be in trouble!”

Looking at the confused blonde girl, I started thinking of ways to roast and boil this child.

*****