Reunion. (2)
There are times when the word talent alone is not enough to explain a situation.
This was one of those times.
"That's way too strong."
Claire's low kick was strangely sharp.
I had deliberately relaxed my stance so that she wouldn't hurt herself if something went wrong—but even taking that into account, the power was abnormal.
What on earth?
"Can I take a look?"
I asked, pointing at her calf. Looking slightly embarrassed, Claire hesitated for a moment before nodding.
I carefully lifted the hem of her robe.
Her pale leg was revealed. When I pressed her calf with my thumb, I felt firm, dense muscle hidden beneath the soft skin.
It felt like touching the leg of a ballerina.
Come to think of it… when I hugged her earlier, I had felt something slightly off.
"Can I hug you again?"
"Why all of a sudden?"
"There's something I want to check."
This time, Claire agreed without hesitation.
"I don't mind."
The two of us embraced.
And I immediately realized what that strange sensation had been.
This… it's like a rock.
Her overall build hadn't changed much, but it felt as if tightly compressed muscle had been packed into her slender frame.
It was hard to understand.
"…What on earth did you learn at the Magic Tower? I sent you there to study—why do you feel like a special forces soldier?"
"I just… did research."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. You know I hate exercising."
Like most scholars, Claire didn't particularly enjoy physical training.
She had only worked as a mercenary to earn the money needed to enter the Magic Tower. After achieving that goal, she had even stopped the occasional training she used to do.
Her answer only deepened my confusion. No matter how I thought about it, it didn't make sense.
…There was only one method left.
"Can I examine the nature of this power?"
"How would you do that?"
"I recently learned an ability through a bit of a shortcut."
The Eye of the Mind—Insight.
My proficiency was still lacking, so I couldn't use it properly, but it would at least help me gauge the current situation.
After I said that…
Claire fell into thought. It seemed she was uneasy about entrusting her body to an unfamiliar supernatural ability.
Seeing that, I quickly backed off.
"Let's just finish lunch."
"…No. I've been worrying about this myself."
She had only needed a little time to think. After saying that, Claire instead made the request.
"Please take a look."
"Alright."
To open the third eye, I closed my two physical ones. Through Insight, I gazed at the unknown power she possessed.
…And for some reason, the energy felt familiar.
Karma?
Claire was harboring the power of the Demonic Realm.
But unlike the Dark Priests, she didn't possess an inner core.
That fact left me stunned.
"…Did you eat a demonic beast's core?"
"Of course not."
"Then why are you carrying Karma?"
Claire let out a faint sigh.
"I always meant to tell you about this someday… I guess today's the day."
"Explain in detail."
"To do that, I have to go back a bit. I don't know if you remember, but do you remember when I taught you that breathing method?"
"Of course. I could never forget."
Breathe through the crown of your head.
A meditation technique to sense the mana of nature. It was so abstruse that I had struggled greatly to master it.
"You were having such a hard time entering mana that… I cast a spell and infused mana into you. That's when something strange happened."
A praying mantis and a blue butterfly.
Claire had unintentionally glimpsed into my mental world. In exchange for losing a portion of her talent as a mage, she received Karma.
The power of the Demonic Realm was originally ferocious and violent. But the Karma I passed to her behaved as docile as a lamb.
Because of that, Claire came to harbor Karma—but she hadn't felt any significant change.
…Until recently.
"When I was surrounded and threatened by those people last time, I was really scared. I found myself wishing someone would help me."
At that moment, the dormant Karma awakened.
As she said this, Claire picked up the fork on the table and applied a little force.
Crack!
The solid iron fork bent like clay in her hand.
Then she calmly straightened it back into its original shape.
"As you can see… this is what happened."
"…."
I stared blankly at the fork. The situation was so unexpected that my thoughts refused to move.
"…What do we do about this?"
"I know. I should somehow return your power to you…"
"No, that part doesn't matter."
It didn't matter that some of my strength had transferred to Claire. I had more than enough Karma to spare.
What concerned me was something else.
"Is there a way to restore your talent?"
I had taken part of her aptitude as a mage.
Even if it was only a portion, it was no small loss for Claire. The higher one climbed, the more painfully such differences were felt. Like the gap between a champion and the first- or second-ranked contender.
But when I voiced my concern, Claire waved her hands with a reassuring smile.
"I'm really fine! I'm not just saying that to comfort you. My ability as a mage has actually improved."
"Really? How?"
"My stamina improved. Before, if I studied for five hours, I'd get exhausted and have to rest. Now I can stay up all night without much trouble."
Though Claire had good endurance from her mercenary days, sitting all day and staring at books was still no easy task.
Study long enough, and your back and neck ache. Your eyes grow blurry and reading becomes difficult.
But after receiving Karma, her body had improved, and her learning efficiency had increased as well.
She intended to prove it.
"In a little while, let's go somewhere quiet. I'll show you the spells I've mastered."
"Alright. Let's see."
After finishing dessert, Claire and I stepped outside the restaurant.
Claire hummed cheerfully as she walked. We chatted idly, and then I asked, as if something had just occurred to me.
"How far are we going?"
"Outside the Mage City, of course. I can't exactly demonstrate attack magic here."
Setting off large spells in the street would be a public nuisance. We'd step outside, perform a brief demonstration, and then return.
I approved of the suggestion.
"Good timing, then."
"Why?"
"We're being followed."
At that, Claire turned her head to look behind us. But nothing stood out.
"…I don't see anything."
"That's because they're hiding themselves while tailing us. If you focus carefully, you can hear their footsteps."
It was only the faintest trace of presence.
But now that Claire carried the power of the Demonic Realm as well, with a little practice, she would be able to sense it too.
"Try thinking of it as separating the surrounding sounds one by one. The sound of our footsteps, carriage wheels rolling, birds chirping… If you practice recognizing each of those individually, you'll start to get the hang of it."
"I'll try."
Claire focused her mind. But before long, she frowned.
"…It's too hard. Now that I'm consciously listening, all the background noise feels overwhelmingly loud."
"You have to filter that noise out. It takes time to get used to it."
I shared several bits of knowledge that might help.
When we first met, Claire had acted as my teacher in magic… yet somehow, our positions now felt reversed.
As we continued talking, the city gates gradually came into view.
Then Claire suddenly sensed something.
"…They're getting closer, aren't they?"
"That's right. You're getting good at this."
The ones who had been tailing us the whole time were approaching. They must have been waiting for an opportunity to ambush us, but when they saw us heading out of the city, they probably grew impatient.
A group of men rushed in and formed a loose encirclement around us.
I scanned their faces.
One of the mages looked familiar.
"…The one who was sitting at the reception desk."
When I had gone into the Magic Tower to ask about Claire, he had looked at me with suspicion. It seemed he had acted as the instigator.
Soon, one man stepped forward at the front, breathing heavily. A young man with blond hair. His gaze swept over Claire and me.
Then he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Claire! Who the hell is that bastard?!"
That was exactly what I wanted to ask.
"And who are you?"
"He's someone I beat up until he cried," Claire whispered helpfully from beside me.
Hearing that, I let out a soft chuckle.
"Wow. You're still clinging on after that?"
"I know. He was quiet for a while, but now he's back at it again."
"If it were me, I'd have gone back to my hometown already. It's impressive, in a way."
As the two of us chatted casually, the young man's face turned red with rage.
"Max! Crush that bastard's mouth first!!"
"Yes, sir."
At the order, a large knight stepped forward.
I couldn't help but admire him.
He's pretty strong.
For the subordinate of such a spoiled brat, he possessed considerable skill. That sharp aura unique to mana users—he clearly wielded great power.
But why was it…
He looks familiar.
I stared intently at his face. Coincidentally, the knight seemed to recognize me as well and stopped in his tracks.
Beads of cold sweat formed on his face.
…Step.
Max naturally took a step back.
And then I remembered.
He's the mercenary knight who participated in the second expedition.
The man who had nearly died when surrounded by demonic beasts during a night raid. I had once saved his life by throwing a spear.
Only the bold and truly skilled had survived the second expedition. Max had been one of the capable fighters who endured until the end.
Which meant he knew exactly what choice to make here.
Tap tap tap—
Max suddenly turned and ran.
"Max? Hey—Max!!"
The young man shouted after him, but the knight didn't look back.
One of the other men clicked his tongue.
"Damn… I've got a bad feeling about this."
Mercenaries are quick to read the situation. They had taken on a petty noble's job for some easy money… but now the capable knight had bolted without warning. The mood shifted instantly.
They glanced around uneasily.
Seeing this, the young noble snapped.
"Are you all planning to run too? I won't let this slide!"
The mercenaries had already received their advance payment.
A skilled knight would be welcomed anywhere—but a mercenary blacklisted in the industry would struggle to make a living. So they hesitated instead of fleeing.
I swept my gaze over them indifferently.
I don't feel like fighting these guys.
That man called Max had seemed strong—I thought I might have some fun for once… but the perceptive knight had run off, leaving only scraps behind.
My interest cooled.
Since I didn't feel like breaking a sweat, I reached into my coat and took something out.
A white flute carved from ivory.
Claire looked at it with curiosity.
"That's an interesting-looking flute."
"Try blowing into it."
She accepted it readily and blew.
But no sound came out.
"…What is this? Is it broken?"
"It's working properly."
It produced a sound too high for human ears.
"It's a dog whistle."
From near the gate came a commotion.
Four wolves clad in silver armor charged toward us.
The mercenaries screamed. Claire, on the other hand, let out a delighted cry.
"Rex!!"
Overjoyed, she ran toward the crimson wolf with a squeal.
Rex wagged his tail wildly, just as happy about the reunion.
Claire grabbed his face and petted him as if kneading dough.
Then she turned her head toward the mercenaries.
More precisely, toward the young noble standing at their center.
"Ah—uh…"
The young man stumbled backward as their eyes met.
Claire pointed at him.
"He bullied me!"
Rex immediately bared his fangs.
Seeing that, I added calmly,
"Don't tear off his limbs. Just subdue him."
The wolf pack lunged forward.
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