Today, two episodes have been posted. Please be aware.
After overcoming Nosfy’s scheme, we are temporarily searching for a building with a remaining roof to treat Rustiara and moving.
Not everyone, including myself, was unharmed, so we took a break to recover our MP, among other things.
Unlike the vanished mansion, we chose a single house standing quietly in a corner of the underground city as our temporary base.
This time, we carefully checked for any infiltrators and firmly blocked intruders with Maria’s wall of flames.
Without a doubt, we could rest here with peace of mind.
I sit alone on the roof of the house, taking a breath and looking out at the townscape of the underground city. Unlike last night, the wind is a little warmer because the fires are lit below, but it is still pleasantly comfortable.
I’m perched on the roof, ostensibly on watch with my eyes and ‘Sensation,’ but I’m letting my guard down a little, not expecting Nosfy and the others to leave the castle.
I sit with my knees hugged to my chest, gazing blankly at the townscape that collapsed because of us.
There’s no need to count, but I estimate the total damage by counting the collapsed houses. Converted to the currency of my world, it would easily exceed tens of billions. Compensating for this would be difficult with our current possessions. I might have to accept the offer of 10,000 holy gold coins from the Senate from before.
I force a wry smile and then try to calculate the repair costs for the melted roads.
However, that modest hobby is interrupted by a new visitor who appears on the roof.
“Oh, Kanami’s older brother. So you were here.”
Ragune-chan, who flew up from below, carefully walks on the unstable stone roof and comes next to me.
“I… felt a bit uncomfortable inside… I was quite shocked by everything today…”
I honestly explain the reason. In the end, the guard duty was just a pretense; I just didn’t have the face to show Rustiara and the others.
Ragune-chan probably senses it. She nods and smiles, then slowly sits down next to me. And, just like me, she gazes at the collapsed townscape and agrees.
“I know… I didn’t expect the Young Lady to go that far either. After the matter where Kanami’s older brother kidnapped her, I thought she had become more cautious… I can’t believe she would do something that reckless with her life, even now…”
“No, Ragune-chan… I don’t think Rustiara was throwing her life away just now.”
We, who have become closer in the past few days, speak our minds without hesitation. We confirm each other’s thoughts, knowing that we are alike.
“That was a face of someone who was sure of the bond with her companions and thought, ‘I will absolutely not die here.’ Even if her limbs were blown off or her body burned away, she believed that in the end, everyone would understand each other… that it would all end with a happy ending. Everyone together.”
“…Ah, true. She did have that look… *Sigh*, I don’t understand.”
Faced with Rustiara’s solid and overwhelmingly immense courage, Ragune-chan echoes my sentiment.
Yes. Despite seeing her success, we, who are too worried about risk management, still haven’t fully understood it.
Even with our disposition, we’re starting to dislike our own negativity a little. We both sigh deeply and simultaneously lower our heads.
However, we can’t just stay down. I quickly think about the purpose of Ragune-chan’s visit and bring it up.
“Ragune-chan… how long do you think that cheek wound will last?”
I point to her cheek, which is wrapped in bandages. This is undoubtedly why Ragune-chan came. The flow of events was likely that after Rustiara’s treatment, she asked Dia and Snow, but the wound still wouldn’t close, and she came here as a last resort—that’s likely the situation.
“Hmm, I might not be able to move in about another day? I had it stitched up, and Sis gave me some amazing healing magic, so it’s a bit better… but the bleeding hasn’t stopped. It’s still oozing now, so honestly, this is bad.”
Like me, Ragune-chan honestly answers about her situation. She clutches her cheek and looks at me with a troubled expression. And without any pretense, she states her main point.
“—So, can you hurry it up a little?”
It’s really quick to get to the point with her. Ragune-chan pulls something out of her pouch.
“That, could it be…”
On her palm lay a lock of chestnut-colored hair. Seeing it, I understood the meaning of her words completely.
“Using Nosfy’s hair, let’s see everything right now. With your real ‘Magic,’ Kanami’s older brother—”
It’s a solution that connects everything. But it’s an option we’ve been putting off for a long time.
“When did you get her hair…?”
“When I met her, I quickly borrowed some from behind. Ah, is the amount not enough?”
“Whether it’s enough or not, we won’t know until we try… No, more importantly, I’m surprised. As always, you’re good at that kind of thing…”
It was probably when she was restrained. If so, it’s not impossible. However, Nosfy wouldn’t have stayed silent if she tried to cut her hair. If she succeeded without her noticing at all, I can only be amazed by Ragune-chan’s ability.
I was handed Nosfy’s hair and stared at a strand of it.
If I perform “Past Sight” on this, I should be able to glimpse a part of Nosfy’s life. I’ve done this before, looking at the town’s earth and confirming Maria’s movements with “Past Sight.”
While I can’t be completely confident, I should be able to do it with this small amount of hair.
However, I can’t gather the magic power needed to use the “Past Sight” magic.
I just don’t feel like doing it…
As I stared, unmoving, Ragune-chan looked at me with a serious expression and continued.
“I think Nosfy-san is just waiting for Kanami-san. I don’t get the feeling she’s an enemy.”
“Rustiara told me the same thing… But Nosfy and I had a serious fight in the labyrinth once. We bet our lives on it, seriously…”
I made one excuse after another.
Ragune-chan gave me a amused smile and, as if coaxing a pouting child, repeated her morning pronouncements.
“You should see it to confirm the meaning of that battle. Kanami-niisan, this is also Lesson Three for understanding a woman’s heart, so you absolutely have to do it.”
“Ah, that’s still going on, huh…”
“Yes, it’s still going on. But, since it’s troublesome and I don’t have much time, I figured we’d use a shortcut. I heard from Rainer. Kanami-niisan’s best magics are ‘Future Sight’ and ‘Past Sight’… Why aren’t you using them? Kanami-niisan currently has magic that can be called anti-Guardian magic. Isn’t ‘Past Sight’ a magic you devised for precisely these kinds of situations?”
Ragune-chan continued to state the correct things with unwavering resolve.
There was only one reason that magic was born.
I thought that to fight Guardians, the closest path was to know them. Knowing the opponent leads to “Lingering Desire,” and “Lingering Desire” leads to defeat.
It was indeed a dedicated magic for eliminating Guardians.
I wanted to eliminate Nosfy with that magic, steal the scripture, and heal the wound on my cheek.
Ragune-chan was urging me to hurry up and do it, rather than mulling over things.
“W-Well, yes… But that’s a great magic… If I were to use it, I might break this country’s barrier…”
“Let’s break it. The stage for being considerate is over, isn’t it?”
Ragune-chan cut through my hesitation with a single stroke.
She’s a strict child.
Recently, my companions have been too soft on me, so her strictness stands out.
“I’ll say it plainly, even if you end up hating me. I have no intention of being considerate. I’m not as kind as all of you.”
Ragune-chan, without losing her serious expression, moved slightly to face me.
Even though we were in a safe zone, just sitting and talking, I could feel fighting spirit from Ragune-chan.
She was currently maintaining a state of readiness, her magic surging, ready to fight at any moment.
She had the eyes of a challenger.
The same eyes I had when I challenged the “Thieves of Principles.”
This meant she was ready to collide with me, the “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions,” with her true feelings laid bare.
…Honestly, it’s a little surprising.
I personally thought Rustiara would be the one to show me these eyes.
I assumed only Rustiara, my opposite, could defeat me. But in reality, it was Ragune-chan, who, like me, was timid and calculating, standing before me as a challenger.
Facing her, I felt as if I were looking into a mirror.
Beyond that mirror, the girl lightly touched upon my core.
“Kanami-niisan… you want to see Nosfy-san’s past, so you won’t hate yourself any more than you already do, right?”
“……”
My face contorted, and I looked down, my guess proven true.
As I remained silent, but my expression confirmed her words, Ragune-chan continued without mercy.
“I believe Nosfy-san’s past… will simply show that Nosfy Fuziaze was right, and Kanami Aikawa was wrong. Looking at it will undoubtedly lead to self-loathing.”
“…I suppose. I kind of understand what you’re trying to say. According to Ragune-chan, the three of us are similar.”
And now, I could understand the nature of that past mistake.
My own earlier outburst and fight with Rainer was a prime example.
It’s likely a story about Primordial Kanami, the very first “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions,” who clung too tightly to “The One and Only Destined Person,” strayed from the path, and caused trouble for many. Honestly, I can pretty much guess the details without even looking.
I surrendered and replied.
There was no need to pretend anymore, and that was somewhat of a relief.
“I’ve already seen enough fragments, so I can predict the overall picture. But I’m scared to re-examine it. The thought of seeing my own past failures, ones I don’t even remember, is… it’s just too daunting, it’s terrible.”
“…Haa, geez. Kanami-niisan, you’re such a small-minded man. Just admit it already.”
“If I could do that, I wouldn’t be struggling… That’s just how I am. Vain, a perfectionist, a pedant, and a coward. I always try to act like a good boy and justify myself because I want Rustiara to think I’m cool… …Haha.”
Perhaps it was because I re-examined myself during the fight with Rainer just now. My bad habits spilled out of my mouth so easily.
I can’t help but want to be seen as a good person by others.
That’s why I aim to be a respectable and outstanding human being.
I’ve lived my life honoring morality, fighting for justice, and protecting the weak.
I believe I’ve tried quite hard. I’ve tried to approach my ideal self, just as I admired when I was a child.
However, it’s difficult to admit that I myself might be the bad guy, the evil that should be defeated.
“—I get it. Older Brother Kanami wants to be a good boy loved by everyone, right? That whole ‘The One and Only Destined Person’ thing, you’re just saying it’s uncool for a man to have multiple wives just because he’s going with the flow, aren’t you?”
Ragune-chan points out my people-pleasing nature sarcastically.
“Perhaps that’s about it… Lately, I don’t understand myself very well, but if Ragune-chan says so, then I suppose that’s how it is…”
Ragune-chan’s words easily penetrate my mind.
It’s not magic or a skill. Simple empathy allows me to be honest.
This feeling of having everything in my heart revealed is something I haven’t felt since fighting that Palinkron. No, Ragune-chan is much, much closer to me than that Palinkron.
Perhaps it’s because I don’t sense the same talent or threat from Ragune-chan as I did from Palinkron.
She relies heavily on superficial tactics and glib talk, fighting in a cowardly, calculating manner.
Moreover, I feel a sense of closeness and security with her.
I think.
If you were to remove all the superior advantages I have in this Another World—the power of ‘Thief of the Principles of Dimensions,’ the legacy of a thousand years, my growth due to a fortunate environment—my aptitude stat would surely be around 1.12, just like hers.
Though slightly more gifted than the average person, the advantage I had as a child would quickly disappear, and I would never be able to defeat true geniuses. That’s likely my true self.
The immense power I possess now as a ‘Thief of the Principles of Dimensions’ is probably because I’ve paid some kind of ‘Price.’ It’s an unfair, cheated power-up.
The ‘Price’ of ‘Incantation’ can unconsciously rewrite one’s personality without them realizing it. I suppose I’ve fallen into that pattern.
In the battle earlier, when I thought Rustiara would die.
All my thoughts were consumed by fear. My chest felt heavy, as if there was a lead ball in the center of my heart. My brain felt unusually sluggish. My thoughts dulled, and my whole body felt heavy. And then, I could only think of one thing. The only thing to protect was ‘The One and Only Destined Person.’ That’s all.
When I think about it calmly, it’s strange.
To have one’s vision narrow to that extent is not normal.
I thought the ‘Confusion’ that had been expanded by the skill ‘???’ had disappeared and my status screen was blank—therefore, my mind was no longer in any distress—but that was a trap.
It was a clever exploitation of the gaps in my thinking.
Smiling inwardly, I check my ‘Status.’
【Status】
Name: Aikawa Uzunami HP543/543 MP1514/1514 Class: Explorer
Level 36
Strength 19.21 Stamina 21.11 Dexterity 27.89 Speed 37.45 Intelligence 28.45 Magic Power 72.32 Aptitude 6.21
【Skills】
Innate Skill: Swordsmanship 4.98
Acquired Skill: Martial Arts 2.02 Pseudo-Martial Arts 1.03 Dimensional Magic 5.82+0.70 Magic Combat 1.01
Curse Technique 5.51 Sensation 3.62 Command 0.91 Rearguard Technique 1.01 Sewing 1.02
Knitting 1.15 Deception 1.72 Blacksmithing 1.04 Divine Metal Blacksmithing 0.57
Unique Skill: Covenant of the Deepest Part of the Labyrinth
??? : ???
No, that’s not quite right.
More precisely, this second skill, ‘???,’ is—
“…So then, Older Brother Kanami’s reason for trying to be such a suspiciously good person is because of that little sister of yours? Oh, and by the way, I’m Mama. When Mama was about to die, she put a ‘Curse’ on me to become the best child I could be to make her proud.”
Perhaps tired of my earnest silence and continuous self-reflection, Ragune-chan brings up a new topic.
We’re having a truly candid conversation now.
I’ve been thrown into a story that could probably only be revealed to a friend with whom I’ve built many years of rapport.
Ragune-chan’s mother is dead…
Judging by her appearance, her father doesn’t seem to be around either…
As I realize our circumstances are similar, I find myself thinking about my own parents.
My memories with my parents are confined to a single room in that luxury apartment.
A room next to the sky in the big city. For some reason, it always seemed to be raining outside the window. The perfectly clean space, furnished with pale-colored furniture, without a speck of dust.
Of course, I could see my parents on television. However, the only place I could see my parents as they truly were up close was in that room.
My mother was an actress.
Though it’s perhaps immodest to praise my own relative, she was a beautiful woman with black hair.
My mother had expectations of me.
I remember her words. Just like Ragune-chan, I was burdened with a curse-like expectation: “Become an even better actor than I am.”
Beside her wasn’t just my mother, but also my father.
Ah, even back then, I was expected of… At first.
And then, standing next to me, who was being expected of, was my sister.
My sister also looked at me, her eyes shining… Until the very end.
“No, it wasn’t just my sister… I think it was my whole family, including my father and mother. My whole family was truly amazing… I was desperately trying to be praised, even just once, by any member of my family…”
I was truly desperate.
I wanted to be on equal footing with those families, and the bar I set for my ideal self was incredibly high.
“Hmmm. Then are Nosfy-san and the same, aren’t they? They’re being such a good girl for Kanami’s older brother.”
Ragune-chan says Nosfy is the same. If she, who claims to be a bad person, is the same…
I agree with a wry smile.
“…I suppose so. Probably.”
“Yes, Nosfy is a good girl. A really good girl, but right now she’s desperately trying to be bad. Knowing the reason for that is important. Let’s look with ‘courage.’ Take a step forward, and towards a new self—”
“I understand. After being told all this, I’m not so weak as to stay silent, so don’t worry.”
If left to her own devices, Ragune-chan’s persuasion would likely continue indefinitely. Faced with her determined expression, promising to show Nosfy’s past no matter what, I finally yielded.
“Besides, I can’t refuse because I don’t want Ragune-chan to think I’m uncool.”
That’s the kind of person I am.
This is not a story from another world, but from my world. I was made to live, think, and choose that way.
“That’s right. I hate that shady part of you, Older Brother.”
“Me too. People like you, Ragune-chan, who are so elusive yet somehow manage to get close to me, I truly dislike them.”
Ragune-chan and I laugh, revealing even the parts we dislike about each other. There’s no animosity between us. On the contrary, there’s a strange sense of relief. It’s good that there are people with weaknesses similar to my own… a pathetic kind of relief.
After we’ve both laughed enough, I steel myself, just like Ragune-chan did.
“Besides, if we don’t hurry, Rustiara and the others will leave us behind… Before I go too far down the wrong path, I need to rejoin them quickly.”
“You got it! Come on, let’s do this! Then, we can give the young ladies some good news with smiles!”
“Yeah, let’s do it. Or rather, let’s just do everything we can now.”
I nod and stand up. Taking a deep breath of air onto the rooftop, I slowly exhale the dark emotions within me.
As soon as my deep breaths end, I switch what my body expels into magic power. I intend to fill not just my body but the space around me, so the amount is immense. My ‘Status’ MP is decreasing at a terrifying rate.
I’m prepared for my MP to reach zero. If I hesitate at this level of risk, many people will be disappointed.
Nosfy is a companion, Ragune and Rustiara told me. Her friend, ‘One who steals the logic of the wind’ Titty, also told me it was my role as we parted. I was asked many times to help Nosfy.
I already have a faint idea, but I need to confirm. During my time in the Underground City with Titty, I found enough hints to provide an answer.
The biggest clue was the day Nosfy attacked me while I was asleep. The night of our second day after meeting. After I refused her request then, Nosfy began to change little by little. Furthermore, right before that, I had an important dream.
Perhaps because I had been in contact with Nosfy right before, I don’t know the reason, but that was undeniably her memory. Nosfy and a thousand-years-ago me, in some unfamiliar room. At that time, I was in a daze and could barely respond, and Nosfy took meticulous care of me.
At one point, she muttered “Father” just once.
That’s not all. While escaping the Labyrinth, there were hints in the life-or-death battle with her. Indeed, she cast the Fresh Blood Magic “Kanami Aikawa / Hitaki Aikawa.” She claimed our sibling blood mixed within her. And her obsession with me. Her gestures, her face, her way of living, it’s just like—
“—Alright, that should be enough magic power to cover the country. First, let’s remove the obstacle to activating Dimensional Magic.”
While organizing my thoughts in my head, I finished refining enough magic power. Releasing the compressed magic power that is currently filling the Underground City would be enough to envelop the entire Great Holy Capital.
My magic power has truly increased. There’s no comparison in quality or quantity to when I was Level 1. Ragune-chan next to me is genuinely scared, saying “So scary…”, so I decide to tell her what I’m doing to alleviate her anxiety as much as possible.
“I’m going to create a ‘Connection’ with the ‘Magic Stone Line’ and seal the entire magic sealing formation, including the Dimensional Magic seal—I think that’s the quickest way.”
“…A seal for the seal? I understand what you’re saying, but I have no idea how you’ll do it. Can you really do it?”
“I can. It seems I’m one of the ‘Thief of Principles’ too…”
I have fought and achieved victory against multiple ‘Thief of Principles’. I have confidence. A slight pride. I can’t afford to fail, on my pride. I jump from the rooftop and land on one of the Underground City’s roads. Ragune-chan, who looks on with interest, follows and stands beside me.
I touched the “Magic Stone Line” beneath the soot by placing my hands on the ground.
“—Magic ‘Distance Mute’, Magic ‘Dimension Winter’.”
I spoke the names of the magic.
However, due to the barrier, the magic was not released outside my body. By creating a “Connection” between my hands, which were in direct contact, and the “Magic Stone Line,” I flowed my unique cold air into it. If even a little magic leaked outside, it would be obstructed by the barrier, so it required considerable concentration.
Still, this kind of work was something I excelled at.
“Ah, that. Feels nostalgic. —Winter of Dimensions.”
“Ah, yes, the one I used before. My seal image is, after all, easiest with freezing.”
It had been a while since I’d used “Dimension Winter.”
Since I gained the ability to change attributes within my body, this magic had recently become reproducible. Of course, without Hidaki, the “Thief of the Principles of Water,” and her magic stone, its precision and efficiency were inferior to before.
But, “Dimension Winter” is “Dimension Winter.”
It was probably the magic I was most proficient with and most trusted among all the magic I could use.
I permeated that magic into the “Magic Stone Line,” chilling the magic circle that sealed the dimensional magic. Sometimes, I would forcibly grab and shift the magic circle with magic power, damaging the barrier in a way similar to “Magic Nullification.”
By its nature, the “Magic Stone Line” was spread throughout the entire country and connected everything. Therefore, conversely, by following the “Magic Stone Line,” I could interfere with the entirety of the Great Holy Capital from the Underground City.
It was like a virus infecting a system.
The cold air spread, stopping all “Magic Stone Lines” in the Underground City, and then invaded the roads and houses of the Great Holy Capital on the ground, freezing all functions.
Thinking of it as a minor cyberattack, I proceeded to confirm the sealing of the “Magic Stone Line.”
With this, the barrier sealing the dimensional magic was now gone.
Furthermore, the magic that brightened and cheered up those people was also gone.
Now the enemy could neither be vigilant nor search.
They could not communicate or receive magic power supply.
We—the thieves—could do as we pleased.
“Alright. For now, I think I’ve frozen all the ‘Magic Stone Lines’ in the Great Holy Capital.”
“Eh, already? That was too easy… You mean, all of it?”
“Yeah, all of it. I seized the opportunity.”
Ragune-chan was surprised by my speed, but it didn’t take much effort to infuse magic into the “Magic Stone Line,” which was already easy to transmit magic power through. It was thanks to creating a unique “Connection” with “Distance Mute,” but fundamentally, the “Magic Stone Line” was defenseless.
“I wonder if the surface is in chaos right now…? The magic power supply that had been continuous suddenly cut off…”
“Yeah, I guess. Hospitals and government offices probably don’t rely on the ‘Magic Stone Line’ entirely, but it would still be problematic. Well, people sleeping probably won’t notice, so it’s not a big deal.”
Actually, I had some leeway and hadn’t cut off the magic supply to specific places like hospitals. I kept it quiet because she might make sarcastic remarks if she knew, but from her tone, it seemed like it wouldn’t have been a problem even if I had cut it off.
However, there was a possibility of unforeseen circumstances.
I had no idea how the people who lost the benefit of Nosfy’s cheerful and uplifting barrier would react. We needed to finish this quickly.
“Now, I have stolen Nosfy’s light from the people of the Great Holy Capital. Although it was a false brightness, there is no turning back now. —Magic ‘Dimension’.”
“Ooh, finally dimensional magic…! The past sight, right!”
With the troublesome barrier removed, I regained the perception range of magic for the first time in a while.
I could now overlook everything in the Underground City, including the interior of the house I was standing in. Counting each paving stone became effortless, and I could quickly calculate the total damage from the previous battle. Using that perception, I climbed the stairs leading out of the Underground City into the night Great Holy Capital.
“Dimension” filled the entire Great Holy Capital, enveloping people, houses, roads, bridges, the sky, and walls, bringing everything under my magic’s control.
Now I could know the number of houses on the surface.
I could see the number of people. I could see who was doing what, in what condition, and with what emotions. If I wanted, I could also apply “Dimension Winter.”
After enveloping the entire country, I now held Nosfy’s hair in my hand.
With all my magic power, I began to construct true “Magic.”
With my current sufficient Level and magic power, an “Incantation” was not necessary.
No, that’s not right. Perhaps my entire life is an “Incantation.” Unlike ordinary people, for “Thieves of Principles,” it doesn’t make much difference whether they speak or not. Like other “Thieves of Principles,” it was the same for me. That’s why I could work as a specialist in dimensional magic.
Understanding the source of my power—and its risks—I constructed true “Magic” in its truest sense.
“—Magic ‘Dimensional War Calculation “Prologue”‘. ”
This magic, which I had built up through my life in this Another World and had arrived at its conclusion.
This was the magic that could be said to be my all, released onto a lock of hair in my palm.
There was no light.
Instead, intense purple magic power swelled in my palm.
That was the only visual effect.
However, only I could see it.
I could see it not with my eyes, but with a metaphysical vision in my mind.
Nosfy’s past.
Her birth, her life, and her feelings towards me.
I saw it all.
Volume 7 will be released on the 25th. Thank you for your support.
