When Kousuke returned to the Lounge Space on the Management Layer from the House of Genesis, he found Colette talking with Cecil and Arisa.
Although they were not an unusual combination given the master-disciple relationship in Spirit Magic, Kousuke felt a bit curious and spoke up.
“You all seem to be in high spirits, what are you talking about?”
When Kousuke asked, Colette replied with a serious expression.
“Huh? About the differences between the Spirit Arts used by Humans and Elves?”
Fearing he had interrupted a serious discussion, Kousuke bowed his head.
“No, sorry. It seems I was intruding.”
While Kousuke knew more about Spirit Arts than the average person, he was no match for these three.
However, Colette waved her right hand at Kousuke.
“No, that’s not true. Since you’re here, why don’t you join us?”
“Huh? No, I don’t think I’ll be of much help…”
“Just come on, come on.”
As Colette persistently invited him, Kousuke showed a bewildered expression and looked at Cecil and Arisa.
He was asking if it was okay for him to join, but both of them easily nodded in response.
Having gained their agreement, Kousuke reluctantly sat down on the spot.
Seeing Kousuke’s expression, Colette said with a laugh.
“Don’t look so displeased. I invited you because I really thought you were needed!”
“Needed…?”
Not thinking he was needed concerning Spirit Arts, Kousuke’s expression turned puzzled.
Sensing his feelings, Colette immediately explained the reason she had called him.
“We were discussing the differences between the Spirit Arts used by Monsters, Elves, and Humans.”
When it came to familiars, or rather, Monsters, there was probably no one more knowledgeable than Kousuke.
That’s why Colette had told Kousuke to stay.
Finally understanding Colette’s words, Kousuke settled himself down.
However, while he was confident about familiars, he knew little about Spirit Arts themselves.
“Hmm. Spirit Arts used by familiars, huh…? Are there even differences?”
Colette nodded at Kousuke’s question.
“There are. At least, outwardly.”
“Outwardly? From what you’re saying, it sounds like it would be strange if there were differences?”
Kousuke, who had noticed Colette’s phrasing, tilted his head.
Colette nodded at Kousuke and continued.
“Normally, it would be strange for there to be differences.”
“Uh, and the reason for that?”
Still not entirely understanding, Kousuke asked for further explanation.
However, Colette also looked like she didn’t know how to explain it.
As if to help both of them, Arisa interjected.
“Kousuke-sama, even if the users are different, spirits are spirits. In principle, there should be no difference in the arts.”
“Only in theory, of course.”
Cecil added, following Arisa’s words.
Simply put, Spirit Arts are phenomena that occur when spirits are “commanded” to perform an art.
The problem here is that there are differences in the phenomena produced, even though the spirits themselves are the same.
However, Kousuke still didn’t understand why the three of them were making an issue of it.
“But, isn’t it natural for there to be differences if the practitioner’s commands are different?”
While the differences between Elves and Humans might be one thing, with Monsters and familiars, their very way of thinking is vastly different.
Therefore, it was natural for Kousuke to think that the “commands” given to spirits would differ.
However, Kousuke’s way of thinking seemed different to the three Spirit Arts users.
“That’s not true. Even if the practitioner’s commands differ to some extent, it’s still the spirits that cause the phenomena, so they should be the same,” Colette said, followed by Cecil and Arisa agreeing.
“Yes. No matter how different the fuel is, there should be no difference in the phenomenon of fire itself.”
“Even if the input, the command, is different, the result is that spirits cause it, so it should be the same phenomenon.”
As the three women explained in unison, Kousuke held up his right palm and asked them to wait a moment.
He vaguely understood what they were trying to say, but he felt a slight discrepancy between what they were saying and what he had intended to convey.
He wanted to calmly think about what that discrepancy was.
After contemplating for a while, Kousuke found the difference.
In essence, if you compare it to driving a carriage, the horses and the carriage are the spirits, and the driver is the practitioner.
The driver commands how fast to go and which path to take, but the performance itself is determined by the make of the horses and the carriage, so there’s no difference in speed itself—that was their opinion.
On the other hand, Kousuke was saying that if the driver’s ability differs, it’s natural for there to be differences due to experience.
Colette’s expression became one of understanding at Kousuke’s analogy.
“I see. Explaining it with that analogy, what we’re saying is that even if the driver changes, the carriage’s performance doesn’t change, so the speed to reach the destination remains the same.”
“Exactly. But that shouldn’t be the case, right?”
As Kousuke said with anticipation, Colette, for some reason, frowned and crossed her arms.
“Hmm. I wonder?”
“Huh!? But if you think about it normally, it’s natural for there to be differences depending on the driver!”
“Ah, yes. So, it’s not about that, you see.”
This time, Colette started to ponder how to explain it.
Kousuke’s analogy of the carriage was fundamentally different from Spirit Arts, making it difficult to explain with an example.
Still, if she had to say something, she was thinking about how to phrase it.
However, Colette didn’t ponder for long and looked at Kousuke.
“Ah, I see. What we’re saying is, why is there a difference in speed due to race, even when the drivers are equally skilled?”
“Uh, does that mean the carriage is the same?”
“Exactly, exactly.”
Colette nodded happily, as if Kousuke had finally understood her question.
In contrast to Colette’s expression, Kousuke looked puzzled.
“Uh… such a thing can happen?”
“It can. Or rather, it happens quite frequently when using Spirit Arts.”
“I see. That is indeed strange.”
Finally understanding what Colette and the others meant, Kousuke nodded with a satisfied expression.
Kousuke, who had never noticed such a thing before, recalled his earlier question and shook his head.
“I understand what you want to ask, but I’ve never compared them before, so I don’t really know.”
“Well, yes. After all, I never even thought of comparing how the magic used by familiars differs.”
As Colette agreed, Kousuke looked puzzled again.
“Huh? Then, about your question just now?”
When Kousuke asked, Colette stuck out her tongue slightly.
“I thought of it when Cecil and Arisa asked me.”
Colette herself hadn’t been conscious of it until she was asked.
However, she had a feeling that something was different.
That’s why it led to her question, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
Ultimately, for Kousuke, whose fundamental perception was different, it was not something he could answer.
Still, since he was more knowledgeable than Colette and the others in some aspects of familiars’ Spirit Arts, he shared what he knew.
However, Kousuke had no idea how any of that was useful.
Is this a reunion after a long time?
Putting that aside, I thought a lot about how to explain Spirit Arts, and eventually settled on the carriage analogy.
At first, I considered comparing it to the relationship between high-octane and regular gasoline for cars, but I dropped it because it wouldn’t be a suitable analogy for people in a world without cars.
(It would just be more confusing lol)
