Chapter 178 - Chapter 177: A Casual Scene of Daily Life
The third month of wind, the first week, the day of water.
It has become the last month of the year, and the chill in the mornings and evenings has gradually grown severe.
Mika, with a head lacking sleep, scratched his scalp with a pori-pori sound while lifting his body from the bed.
Unintentionally shivering from the cold, his body trembled.
"......Limiter Off......Absorb......Lighting Ball. ......Blast."
Immediately, he deployed warm air around himself using Blast.
After doing so, he got off the bed and changed into the academy uniform.
Fee floated up and landed on his head with a fuyo-fuyo sound.
"Faaaaa~~~..."
Mika yawned widely while changing and stretched his body.
Last night, he had gone to bed a little late.
He had been drawing the circuit for a magic tool to stabilize his mana, but there were parts that simply wouldn't go well, so he had been trying this and that, engaging in trial and error.
Fee came to notify him at his usual time, but he gave a perfunctory reply, sent her away, and became engrossed in his work.
Currently, the third prototype magic tool for stabilizing mana has been completed, and he is designing the fourth one.
However, as the amount of mana handled increases, even small errors that could previously be ignored gradually become a size that cannot be disregarded.
Even while drawing the circuit, he would realize, "Ah, this won't do."
So, while reviewing parts and incorporating other circuits to suppress errors, two or three hours would pass in the blink of an eye.
"Good morning..."
With Fee still on his head, Mika, half-asleep, went to the dining room where Kistil and Nerisfeene were preparing breakfast.
"Good morning, Mika-kun."
"Good morning, Mika-sama."
Mika nodded with a slumped posture, responding to the two who returned the greeting with smiles.
Then, he plopped down into his seat.
He leaned his body slightly, eyes closed.
"Mika-kun, are you sleepy?"
"Hmm..."
Mika gave a perfunctory reply.
"What time did you stay up until, Mika-sama?"
"Hmm..."
Again, he gave a perfunctory reply.
Seeing Mika like this, Kistil and Nerisfeene sighed simultaneously.
Then, the two exchanged glances and began moving briskly.
"Here, Mika-sama. Straighten your back and wake up."
Saying so, Nerisfeene lifted Mika's body and straightened his back.
Fee, sensing something, quietly detached from Mika's head.
During that time, Kistil took out a red fruit from the refrigerator, no more than three centimeters in diameter.
Peeling off the thin red skin revealed a white, glossy flesh inside.
"Here, Mika-kun. Open your mouth. It's sweet and delicious."
Saying so, she whispered in a gentle voice.
When Mika opened his mouth slightly, Kistil lightly touched the fruit to his lips.
He could tell without words that he needed to open his mouth more firmly, or it wouldn't fit.
It was almost a conditioned reflex.
So, with Mika unconsciously opening his mouth, Kistil placed the fruit inside.
Whole.
A faint sweetness spread across his mouth, and Mika unconsciously chewed the fruit.
A rich sweetness filled his entire mouth.
In that instant—
"Bu-fuu!?"
Overwhelmed by the intense sourness, Mika choked.
Kistil pressed her hand over Mika's mouth, which was trying to spit it out in a flash.
Nerisfeene desperately held down Mika, who was flailing his arms and legs uncontrollably.
"Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!???"
"Mika-kun! You must eat it properly!"
"Really, please don't struggle so much, Mika-sama!"
This fruit.
It is a fruit very good for the body, often used in medicine, but unfortunately, its characteristic is an acidity too harsh to eat normally.
There is a thin sweet layer on the outside, but inside sleeps the main body with terrifying sourness.
If you put it whole into an appropriate amount of water, crush it, and drink it, it becomes a delicious juice with a sharp sour taste.
However, it was also a very popular fruit for punishment games.
Recently, they make it into juice and everyone drinks it every morning.
But, if the two judge that Mika is groggy from sleep, they permit the use of the whole fruit.
To wake him up.
By the way, this is the third time they have used it.
Despite the fact that he had given permission, the fact that they actually executed it showed that the two were surprisingly merciless.
"Geh-ho!? ...Geh-go-ho!"
Shaking off the two, Mika writhed on the floor.
Even with the difference in physique and the two of them working together, Kistil and Nerisfeene could not keep holding down Mika, who had been trained at the academy.
He would be freed immediately.
"Gwee-......... I've gotten into quite a mess..."
Mika, with tears in his eyes—no, actually tears were flowing—mumbled.
Spitting the fruit onto the floor, exhausted, Kistil and Nerisfeene protested.
"That's what we should be saying, Mika-kun."
"Yes."
Both of them were also breathing heavily.
"We always tell you not to stay up late."
Kistil, in older sister mode, puffed out her cheeks and scolded Mika.
Even while scolding, Kistil began cleaning up briskly.
"Why don't you wake up early in the morning, Mika-sama?"
Nerisfeene brought a robe for changing clothes.
She had judged that since he had writhed on the floor, simply brushing off the dust from the robe would not suffice.
Facing the logical attacks from the two, Mika wiped his tears and attempted a futile counterattack.
"I'm a night owl..."
His eyes were wide awake from the intense o-me-z-a, but his spirit was no-i-na-t-t-a.
However, because he had wasted time on unnecessary things, he had to eat breakfast quickly.
Kistil and Nerisfeene seemed to understand this as well, quickly serving the stew and arranging bread and salad.
At Mika's house, meals begin only after a proper prayer.
When it was just Mika and the two of them, they had been quite careless about it, but once Nerisfeene started joining the table, everything changed.
Nerisfeene would not say anything even if Mika started eating without praying.
She would just silently look at Mika with a very sorrowful expression.
Staring... intently.
At first, he ate without noticing, but once he noticed that gaze, he could not ignore it at all.
Since then, the prayer has become mandatory.
And, Mika's eating style has become quieter compared to before.
It is hard to say he is eating calmly, but at least he has stopped eating greedily.
Two girls eating properly, while he alone eats in a terribly messy way.
He suddenly noticed this, or rather, came to his senses.
Originally, Mika wasn't the type to eat greedily either.
While staying in the Leventein dormitory, he somehow started shoveling food in like that, but he could certainly do table manners if he wanted to.
His usual eating style could be clean if he tried.
Even at the noble dining hall of the academy, he could eat without raising eyebrows.
Well, he doesn't take such care at home or in general dining halls, but he decided on his own to eat a bit more cleanly.
Despite such a hurried morning scene, he went to the academy and attended classes.
During lunch break, he played Buattre Heed with Stellan for the first time in a while.
When Mika and Stellan played Buattre Heed, they no longer needed to confirm things like "simultaneous action."
They simply pointed to the pieces to move so the opponent could understand, and advanced quickly with simultaneous actions or coordinated attacks.
Therefore, unless someone was thoroughly familiar with the rules, they would be confused, asking, "Why are you moving two pieces?" or "Why are you only moving one piece right now?"
"I've been drawing blueprints all through class, what are you making?"
Stellan asked while moving a piece.
Mika thought for a moment and moved his own piece.
"It's nothing special. Well, let's call it practice."
"Practice? Are you interested in magic tool creation?"
Stellan moved his piece without any delay.
From the placement of that piece, Stellan's intention became clear, and Mika grimaced.
It seemed he intended to cut them off using the power of the large piece.
"It's not that I'm interested in magic tool creation; this is just a means, isn't it?"
Mika predicted where Stellan would want to place his large piece and positioned his own piece to block its power.
If left free, the large piece would make things cramped for him, so it was just a move to block its power.
Seeing this, Stellan thought for a moment.
"...So, you have something you want to do with a magic tool?"
"There is something, but if it's just something I want a little, isn't it better to make it myself?"
"That sounds very much like you."
After pondering for a while, Stellan placed his large piece in a location different from Mika's prediction.
"Normally, creating circuits and [Enchantment] are not such simple things, are they?"
"...So, does that mean you know about circuit creation to some extent, Stellan?"
Mika adjusted the position of his pieces to capture Stellan's large piece.
"I've read some books about it to some extent. I've never actually drawn a circuit diagram myself."
With that, Stellan slashed his large piece.
"Ah!?"
By moving the piece to try and checkmate the large piece, it seemed he had created a gap in Mika's camp instead.
Into that gap, Stellan had thrown away his large piece and charged in.
Stellan lost his large piece, but Mika found himself in a rather difficult situation.
He never thought Stellan would choose to slash his large piece.
Mika stared at the board, thinking of ways to plug the hole.
Stellan tended to value his large pieces excessively, so slashing them was something he had never done before.
If he can hold out here, the fact that Mika still has his large piece should tilt the balance in his favor.
However, if he is attacked all at once in this situation, he will collapse before he can reorganize his stance.
As Mika was thinking about how to hold out, the hallway became noisy.
"Hmm, a draw perhaps?"
Saying so with a cool face, Stellan spoke.
Mika narrowed his eyes half-shut.
"In this situation, I am at a disadvantage."
"Oh? Well, let's go with that."
With a confident face, Stellan began to pack up.
Mika looked somewhat frustrated.
This difference in expression told the story of the situation.
"Well then, see you later."
"Yes."
Watching Stellan's back as he returned to his seat.
Stellan had not specifically asked about Mika participating in the twenty-year anniversary party.
When their eyes met at the venue, he was very surprised, but Cleiria was next to him, and the entire Leventein Marquis family was gathered.
If he is surprised that Mika is mixed in with the Leventein Marquis family, then the relationship between Mika and Cleiria should be the surprising part first.
Using plain speech without honorifics to the Marquis's daughter is an act so bold that one might think, "Are you royalty?"
So, while he may not know the detailed circumstances, Stellan seems to have become accustomed enough to just think, "Well, if it's Mika..."
Mika let out a sound like a low groan, "Aaa-...", leaned back against the chair, and stretched his body.
"Rarely do I see Mika looking frustrated."
"...Don't say it."
He muttered back to Cleiria's retort.
Usually, during lunch break, there isn't enough time, so the situation is often unclear.
Even when the situation clearly worsens, it happens gradually, little by little.
Patterns like today, where he overlooked something or was hit by something he thought, "No way, this won't happen," were almost non-existent.
Especially today, while it was an oversight, he was hit with a move he had quickly dismissed from his mind, thinking, "Stellan wouldn't do this."
Honestly, it was extremely frustrating.
"Recently, I have also been taught. There are too many rules, so it is very difficult."
"To voluntarily want to play something like this..."
"Oh? Is it different for Mika?"
Cleiria made a puzzled face.
"I was forced by the village priest..."
Saying so makes it sound bad, but it is probably not wrong.
Cleiria gave a wry smile at Mika's reply.
"Shall we try it next time?"
"With Mika? ...I feel like I'll definitely get crushed."
"I won't do that."
Mika smiled brightly.
"If we play a hundred times, I'll hold back enough so that Cleiria wins a hundred and twenty times."
"That's too obvious! How do you win a hundred and twenty times if you play a hundred times!"
It was a completely rigged Buattre Heed session.
While talking about such foolish things, Corina entered the classroom.
Mika glanced at Rimliche.
Since she had already cleared the acquisition of this year's God's Miracle, she was practicing mana manipulation in regular classes.
In the second year of elementary, she had acquired Abundance in her spare time, but it seems she has no intention of taking this year's Orientation.
Rimliche had a calm expression.
She was surprised by the Waterball the other day, but she is no longer shaken like at that time.
It is unknown if she is practicing something now, but she should just use it as she pleases.
Within a range that won't be noticed by others.
(I should practice my own stuff too.)
Mika had polished fine mana manipulation up until now, but now he is incorporating training to extend the upper limit of mana he can handle.
That said, if he doesn't continue training fine mana manipulation, the lower limit of Physical Enhancement will be lowered.
In the time spent acquiring skills so far, Mika has wasted time quite carelessly in some places.
He thought, "It's fine to just practice mana manipulation to some extent."
When he did practice, he took it seriously, but he hadn't done his absolute best using the full class time.
And, in reality, he had improved his fine manipulation and maintained the lower limit of Physical Enhancement that way.
However, recently things have become a bit busy.
In addition to fine mana manipulation, he is also handling large mana manipulation and creating magic tool circuit diagrams.
With the amount of things to do increasing, it has become quite difficult.
That said, this level of effort is probably not worth mentioning.
Compared to other children.
Next year's class will be divided by whether one can acquire God's Miracle.
Under the pressure of "If you can't acquire it, you'll be in Class 2 next year," he is desperately working to acquire it.
He doesn't necessarily think, "Well, Class 2 is fine?", but he probably has some pride.
Because he is clearly being made to realize, "I have dropped out."
Mika has come this far without being involved in such pressure.
He has never been exposed to the thought, "I must acquire God's Miracle with all my might."
(If they find out I'm thinking this, I'll really get stabbed, yeah.)
He might get hit with Explosive Flame from behind by a classmate.
So, he says nothing unnecessary and silently focuses on what he needs to do.
After school, Mika decided to stop by the magic tool shop.
To consult on improvements for the part of the circuit he was thinking about last night where the error became too large.
He would like to make the shop in Sarbengeal his regular spot, but unfortunately, it is too far from the capital.
So, he usually used the shop in the capital for materials for the magic tools he creates.
"That part would be more stable with Moonstone than with Radiant Stone. Since it works well with dark power, with this output, you won't need to worry about the attenuation of dark power."
The shop owner gave advice while looking at the circuit diagram Mika brought.
But, upon hearing that advice, Mika's face twisted.
"Is it that the price jumps up a whole digit when the amount of Moonstone is reduced to one-tenth?"
As Mika pointed and asked, the shop owner gave a wry smile.
To buy the same amount, it would be a hundred times the price.
"It is troublesome to buy the same amount, but with Moonstone, just one bottle is enough. With this, three grains... if you want to ensure stability, using four grains should be enough. Thinking of it that way, the price shouldn't change much, right?"
"Ah... well, if that amount is sufficient..."
It would cost slightly more.
If he gets the expected effect with that, then it is cheap, one could say.
"This is just a test question."
"Hmm?"
When Mika said so, the shop owner raised one eyebrow.
"If the output is a thousand times, what materials would you use?"
"A thousand times!?"
At Mika's question, the shop owner let out a shocked voice.
"I've never heard of a thousand times this!"
"I see."
Mika thanked the shop owner, lightly selected some supplementary materials, and purchased them.
"Here, that's 318,000 Rats... Are you sure it's okay to buy this much?"
The shop owner, with a surprised face, conveyed the amount.
Mika paid using his Guild Card.
"Thank you for always buying various things, but you're getting quite serious about this, aren't you?"
This was likely his impression considering Mika's appearance, the quantity and quality of the materials he bought, and the price.
"Well, I'm still far from it."
"R-really...?"
Yeah, he's slightly pulling back.
Mika put the materials he just purchased into his Magic Bag.
"I'll come to consult again if anything comes up."
"Ah, yes, I'll be waiting."
And so, today he skipped "Curse Exclusion" and went home.
"......Maybe I should look for another shop."
Walking on the way home, Mika muttered.
It was relatively close to his house and the prices were normal, so he had been using it, but it seems it is far from the level he is seeking.
"They were surprised by a thousand times."
Probably, Mika's final goal is not limited to a thousand times.
He expects it won't reach ten thousand times, but you won't know unless you try.
"Well, I'll just go one by one."
For now, he will quickly complete the fourth prototype and next try to make something that can withstand ten times that output.
"But, I should sleep early today."
A repeat of this morning's disaster is something he hopes to be spared from.
It is entirely his own fault, so he can't complain, but at least he should be careful.
...While he remembers.