episode_0083

The fireball Mariel sent flying towards me comes at me with fierce momentum.

My arms and legs were paralyzed by her mysterious magic, unable to move.

What am I supposed to do?

She said she could take away the control of magic and render me powerless, is that even possible?

It’s one thing if it’s magic floating in the air, but feeling and controlling magic flying towards you is a different story.

An arrow that’s not moving can easily be caught with your hand, but it’s difficult to catch a flying arrow, just like that.

Moreover, that fireball was already imbued with Mariel’s magic, making it the magic that had a ‘master’ through her touch.

Magic floating in the air didn’t have a master by default.

But if someone accepts and uses it, the magic becomes bound to the user.

Taking away the control of magic already bound to Mariel ignores this nature and forcibly binds the magic to me.

If such a thing were easily possible, the way adventurers use magic would have changed drastically.

If someone uses magic for a technique or spell, you could just take away that magic to nullify it or even redirect it back at the user.

When users with magic fight each other, it becomes a battle to secure more control over the magic.

Fwoosh-!

Mariel’s fireball approaches head-on, starting to look like a sun.

Unable to move my arms and legs, I reluctantly tried to control Mariel’s magic within the fireball as she instructed.

But regardless of whether it was possible or not, time was running out.

“Yunoa couldn’t find a way to take away the control of the magic Mariel used.

Strictly speaking, her demand was unreasonable.

Yunoa had a stronger ability to control magic than others due to her foreign magic, but this was still too much.

However, Yunoa forgot that not all the magic used in the flying fireball was from Mariel.”

Just before the fireball explodes upon impact.

The narration quickly conveyed a message to my consciousness.

Whether there was no time to convey it verbally or not, like Shari conveying scenes to consciousness, the message appeared in my mind as it was.

The fireball is not everything…

Does that mean there’s more possibility in releasing the magic binding my arms and legs?

With no time to waste, I immediately felt my own magic within my body.

I could feel the blue magic entwined around my arms and legs that wasn’t mine.

It was probably the remnants of the binding magic Mariel cast on me.

I focused my mind to control the magic binding my arms and legs.

It wasn’t easy to concentrate in a situation where the fireball was flying towards me, but I had to figure it out somehow. I exerted myself, sweating coldly, trying to control the blue magic entwined around my arms and legs.

“Ugh… Uwaaa! Damn it!”

After a moment passed like that.

Boom!

The fireball finally reached where I was and caused a massive explosion.

I released the magic binding my body just in time, dodging the explosion by throwing my body to the side.

It was a close call, with the intense heat felt on my back.

“Whew… Ugh….”

“Wow! Interesting! You controlled the magic over there! Impressive!”

Mariel applauded, speaking.

I felt like I had just narrowly escaped death.

“If I hadn’t dodged, what were you planning to do? You crazy magician!”

“Don’t worry. This Mariel! As long as you’re breathing, I have various means to heal you.”

“….”

“Why… why are you looking at me like that? I’m serious!”

That’s not the issue.

Shouldn’t you consider a bit from the perspective of the person being experimented on?

What good is it to say you can heal me no matter what as long as I’m breathing…

“…If you keep messing around like this, I’ll show you what happens when you unleash that beloved magic of yours.”

“Uh… Well, humans are supposed to unleash superhuman powers when pushed to the edge of a cliff.”

“Maybe you’ll come up with better research results if you’re pushed to the edge of a cliff too?”

“I… I’ve already obtained the results! So, it’s okay not to draw the sword! Seriously!”

Mariel belatedly shook both hands at me and bowed deeply.

“Sigh… Fine.”

I just wanted to scare her a little out of mischief.

Of course, I had no intention of actually drawing the sword and doing anything to Mariel.

As I sighed and made a face that seemed like I had given up, Mariel flashed her mischievous smile.

“Hehehe… But thanks to you, it seems like all the results will come out!”

* * *

After finishing a dangerous experiment and returning to the mansion, I got some rest.

Mariel was organizing the results of the experiment she had extracted from me.

I wanted to give her some kind of punishment, even if it meant doing something embarrassing, for what I had done… but it would be more productive and important to use that for something else.

If I did something like that, the narrator would probably criticize me and spread all sorts of blame.

After a while, Mariel approached me again and began to talk about the conclusion of the mysterious experiment she had been conducting.

“It seems like there are parts of this world’s laws that don’t apply to you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Every living being in this world, not just humans, has a limit to the amount of magic they can possess. And it’s generally impossible to take someone else’s magic and control it. It’s a rule of this world that was set by the gods when they created everything.”

“The laws of the world…”

“But your nature of magic possession is strange, and you directly violate the general rules of magic in this world. People like you don’t exist in this world, haven’t existed before, and won’t exist in the future.”

When talking about magic research, Mariel was unusually serious compared to before.

It was almost as if this person who had shown such a casual and carefree attitude while using teleportation magic and slipping through the cracks was a completely different person.

As she spoke seriously, I had no choice but to listen to her story seriously.

She said I was a human who directly violated the laws of the world.

There was actually a reason that immediately came to mind.

After all, I’m not a person from this world.

So maybe the general rules of this world don’t apply to me either.

Being called the ‘one and only experimental subject in the world’ wasn’t an exaggeration.

It made sense that she wanted to study me no matter the cost.

If you’re a researcher, you can’t just pass by a rare research subject like me.

“So, have you gained anything useful from studying me?”

“In fact, I am just a normal human bound by the laws of this world. Therefore, even if I study your magical nature and characteristics, I cannot implement them separately. But…”

“But?”

“That magic you possess! It’s not of the demons or humans, but your unique magic has its uses! According to my measurements, your magic, even in the same amount, is several times more efficient than regular magic.”

Mariel, with a gleam in her eye, opened a large box from among the clutter of experimental equipment and took something out.

It was an object that looked like a portable lamp that lit up in the dark when magic was infused into it.

Briskly tapping the lamp with her fingertip, Mariel caused a blue flame to ignite inside the lamp.

“You can ignite the fire inside. It doesn’t need oil or a wick. It’s a lamp that burns only with pure magic. Once you inject magic like this, you can easily burn it for about two days.”

“It’s a fascinating object.”

“Objects that operate using magic like this are called magical devices. It may look simple, but it’s extremely difficult to make, so this lamp is worth dozens of gold!”

Marie tapped the lamp again with her hand, and the glowing light inside the lamp went out smoothly.

Then she handed me the lamp.

“You! Try putting magic into this lamp!”

“Um… like this?”

I accepted the lamp and injected magic into it as I would with a sword, just like I usually do.

And then the light came back into the lamp.

Unlike when Marie lit it, the color of the light was closer to purple.

“Hmm! Indeed, your magic efficiency is much better than mine. You can tell by the amount of magic flowing into the lamp. If you can store and use your magic, you can create a new magical device that is different from before!”

Certainly, I understood that magical devices operate with the power of magic, so having efficient magic can make the magical device more powerful.

But even if I make such a magical device, in the end, the only one who can use it is me, right?

As I pondered this question in my mind, Marie approached me with a mischievous expression and said,

“So, um… would you mind sharing some of your magic with me? I have a high-capacity magic storage device. If you fill it with magic, I can make magical devices using your magic without bothering you for a while.”

“If I share my magic, doesn’t that mean my own magic will decrease?”

“Not at all! Absolutely not! Have you seen your magic decrease just by using magic techniques? If that were the case, all the wizards in this world would have withered away! You might just feel a little tired, but it won’t have any effect on the amount of magic you possess.”

『What Marie said was true.

Excessive use of magic does not deplete the accumulated magic inside the user’s body.

It just makes them very tired and exhausted, with no lingering effects after recovery.』

The narration revealed the truth of Marie’s words to me.

But still, I don’t like things that are too difficult…

“Here! This device is the magic storage device! Isn’t it small and compact! If you fill it with magic, you can create magical devices using your magic! I promise not to bother you for a while! I’ve got all the information I need, so this is my final request!”

Marie showed me the magic storage device.

It stood tall like a piece of furniture, much larger than a person.

“Where do you see small and compact?”

“If you fill it with magic, you can create magical devices using your magic! The magical devices made this way will be much more powerful and efficient than existing magical devices! It’s not like using magic will wear it out! Just get a good night’s sleep and eat well, and you’ll be fine!”

“Are you making it sound too easy for someone else to do?”

“Th-then! If a good magical device comes out of your research, I’ll give it to you too! You can connect that magical device to this storage device, or you won’t be able to use it anyway. I’ll make new magical devices, and you’ll have a magical device that no one else can get!”

Marie added a new condition to me with an anxious expression.

She seemed very uneasy, as if she was afraid I would refuse and run away.

Giving me a completed magical device for free…

Come to think of it, if that’s the condition, it’s quite worth a try, isn’t it?

As long as, as the narration said, there are no major lingering effects from using excessive magic.

And those magical devices were quite expensive.

I couldn’t sell them anyway, but maybe I could get something unexpectedly useful.

If it’s a magical device that operates with my magic, it also has the rarity of being a magical device that only I can use in the world.

“Just fill this device with magic, right?”

“Oh! You got it! That’s right! Just place your hand on this part of the device… and keep sending magic through it!”

There was a square space where Mariel pointed to, big enough to place your palm on.

I placed my hand there and started sending magic through it.

“Hmm… I feel a bit strange…”

It feels like the energy is draining from my body.

Like pouring water into a never-ending jar.

Well, nothing out of the ordinary.

.

.

.

It took a whole day to fill Mariel’s magic storage device to the brim.

The narration clearly said it was ‘very difficult.’

The level of difficulty seemed different from what I had in mind.

“Oh! Finally done! The magic storage device is full!”

Mariel’s voice sounded muffled, as if coming from underwater.

As I removed my hand from the storage device, feeling like my soul had left my body, my muscles relaxed and darkness enveloped my vision.

Is this… safe… right…?