Ciel could not believe her eyes.
"I will be back in the evening. I might not come back at all, so do not wait up."
"... Please wait a moment."
"Hmm?"
Dersia, who had been about to open the door and leave, looked at Ciel with a questioning gaze.
"Did I leave any work for you? I believe not."
"There is nothing of the sort, but..."
Ciel trailed off, examining Dersia's attire. It was a mix of dark blue silk, much like her personality, and lace of some unknown personal taste. A simple outfit for going out.
Yes, an outfit for going out.
‘Going out, on her own?’
It was impossible. Even if the heavens and earth were to be overturned, she was the type to lock herself in her room and practice magic unless a direct method was used. Using the skill of an experienced head maid, Ciel twisted a sentence that would be rude no matter how it was phrased.
"To be honest, I thought the only friends you had, milady, were the mold growing in the corner of this room. You have no one to meet, so where on earth could you be going?"
"How incredibly rude. I am merely going to the library."
"Did you not say that you have read all the books in the libraries nearby?"
"History means an increase in recorded material. As time passes, the things called books tend to multiply."
"I believe there are very few things that would pique your interest, Lady Dersia."
"Hah..."
At this point, Dersia realized from Ciel's anxious eyes that she had to spare a moment, and took off her shoes. Easing the worries of her loyal head maid was part of a master's duties.
"What is it you wish to say?"
Ciel thought for exactly three seconds and asked the most important question.
"Is it a man?"
"?"
"No, I misspoke. Who are you meeting?"
"Is there a need for you to know? Besides, were you not the one who told me to go out and meet people?"
"That is because you are extremely lacking in social skills, milady. I was wondering if you were perhaps being deceived by someone."
"I have simply come across something... interesting. It is merely an extension of the path of magic."
Dersia said, twisting the corner of her lips. A bit of anticipation and curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge that could be seen as unsettling. Ciel was certain.
‘It’s a man.’
Of course, she did not actually say so. Instead, she asked with a worried expression.
"I see. But seeing as you meet every day, he must be quite an interesting person... no, subject matter."
"No." Dersia shook her head.
"We do not meet every day. He has not come recently. I have been unilaterally waiting for him while reading at the library."
"...!"
It was unexpected. Ciel was silently aghast. The great Dersia Aspandil was clinging to someone?
It was unimaginable. Staggering, Ciel asked carefully so as not to displease her master.
"Even so, if there is no promise..."
"There is a promise."
Dersia looked at the door and answered in a confident tone.
"He will come find me on his own soon enough."
"What the... he's playing roulette like it's the lottery?"
"Does he have money to burn? No, I'm sure he does, but..."
At the sudden all-in bet, the dealer glanced around. Not at us, but up. It seemed he was receiving some kind of signal from the second floor.
I did not do anything that would raise suspicion, like turning to look. I simply told the Director to go for it.
"Spin it quickly."
"Ah... yes, sir!"
As if he had received confirmation, the dealer spun the roulette wheel with a slightly trembling hand. Even if he just spun it, the odds were low at 1 in 36. But they must have taken measures to prevent even that from happening. As expected, the ball rolled toward another number as if drawn by something.
'Did they use a magnet or something?' I did not know for sure. Nor did I need to know.
What was important was that I had filled the inside of the ball with water. And I had not learned water-type magic. Because I had a far superior, higher-level version. -Clack.
The ball approached number 21 and stuck to it, rotating along with the roulette wheel. ... ... ... ... The gambling hall fell silent.
"It hit?"
"... He won?"
"No, what in the world-" "You were lucky. I'll take the chips."
I moved faster than anyone. First, I put all the chips into a sack I had prepared beforehand. As quickly as possible, even using a bit of magic.
Winning so absurdly is just the beginning. The hardest part starts now.
"Master, go exchange them."
"Ah, alright."
I whispered to the Director and sent him to the exchange counter. They would not do it right away, but it was my job to buy time.
"... It's a fraud!"
Suddenly, a strange voice came from the second floor. A bald man in a uniform, his scalp flushed red, came stomping down the stairs, stopped in front of me, and shouted while pointing a finger.
"What did you do to the machine, you brat!"
"...?"
Rather than being angry, I looked at the dealer with a feeling of puzzlement. First of all, this guy was the one who touched the roulette machine. I had not even laid a finger on it.
And even if he suspected manipulation, he should be yelling at my master, the Director, not me. With a bewildered expression, I tilted my head and asked like an innocent child.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem...?"
"A problem? This cheating bastard is shameless too."
Now, not even bothering to hide his true nature, I asked him again as he growled.
"You said it was fraud, but could you tell us what kind of manipulation we performed?"
"That's obviously...!"
He could not finish his sentence.
Of course.
We had not even touched the roulette wheel. The dealer spun it and the dealer picked the winner. Even the world's greatest gambler cannot manipulate a roulette wheel without touching it.
Unless they had learned magic. Naturally at a loss for words, the bald man could only glare at me with burning eyes. I deliberately spoke loudly so those around could hear.
"I really don't understand why you're doing this... You were the ones who prepared it, and you were the ones who spun it, weren't you? All we did was bet on a number and win, so to call it fraud is truly unfair."
"That's right, what's fraudulent about it? It was surprising, but wasn't it just luck?"
"How can you manipulate it from over there? Unless he bribed the dealer."
"... Tsk."
The bald man, watching the reactions of those around him, ground his teeth and clenched his fists, then forced a twisted smile. He had realized the risk that if he pushed his baseless claims any further, he could lose all the suckers he had worked so hard to reel in.
Though his pride seemed to remain, as he did not forget a whisper full of hatred.
"... See you later."
See what later? I hope I never have to see your face again. But why does this guy keep leaving the Director alone and picking on me? ... ...
It would be simple to think he was just bullying me because I looked weak- But something felt unsettling. I activated my Tide Sense to check his movements. He went up to the second floor, but that was fine.
My condition today was strangely good, so I could reach that far. No. It was more than just reaching.
‘... What’s happening to me?’
It had been increasing little by little so I hadn't noticed, but my range and accuracy were improving at a terrifying speed. Not long after activating Tide Sense, the flow of the entire gambling hall came into view as if I were watching from the side. It was unbelievable.
I saw a dice game happening dozens of meters away and felt the dice rolling inside the cup. Could it be- ‘3, 6, 2.’ "The result is...
3! 6! 2!
Congratulations, customer number 3 is the winner!"
"Yeah! This is it, this is it!!"
I even got it right. Flustered, I still focused on the second floor. Just then, the bald man took some kind of artifact from his pocket and was giving an order.
I could not hear the sound, of course. However, I could read his lip movements to some extent.
"Natural, body, magic, was usable. Capture, prepare, thoroughly..." ...
No... could this bastard be...? The contents of the conversation pointed to only one thing. Feeling a chill run down my spine, I approached the Director.
The Director was holding a sack full of silver coins with a slightly dazed expression.
"Master, no. Director."
"Ah, right. Ahem."
"You can drop the act. That's enough money, so we need to get out of here right now."
"... Huh? What's going on?"
"I'll explain the details later."
That bald fellow. He knew I was a mage.
Ah. I see.
Is that why he spoke to me and not the Director? He knew that if something had been done, it was me, the mage, who did it. It seems he did not know if I could use magic.
Or maybe filling that roulette ball with seawater was a countermeasure. ... No, this was not the time for analyzing the situation. That guy's target was me.
If I got caught, it would not be a good thing.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?"
As we were walking briskly towards the door, the bald man, who had come down at some point, scowled and faced the Director.
"I-I'm trying to leave, is there a problem?"
The Director spoke confidently, though he was trembling slightly, but it was not going to work.
"Yes. It seems you haven't received all your money yet. We're out of cash on hand, so please wait a moment. It won't take very long."
"No, we have to leave now."
"I'm afraid not."
The bald man gave a vile smile. Simultaneously, the employees discreetly surrounded us. It was my turn to step up.
"Hoo..."
I took a deep breath. Until now, my currents had not worked well on humans. At most, they only worked slightly on the parts covered by clothing.
Today is different. They already found out I'm a mage anyway. I do not know why, but if my condition is this ridiculously good right now- "I'm sorry, but we have urgent business."
I took a step forward and met the bald man's gaze.
"Could you please let us go?"
"Ha..."
Watching him scoff as if in disbelief, I quickly moved the currents. -Creeeak! From top to bottom, left to right, I gripped his entire body with invisible hands of water, as strongly as I could.
"...!"
The bald man's mouth fell open in shock at the sudden pressure, but I even closed that. After that, he trembled very slightly and then showed no movement at all. No, he could not.
"... Sir Krain?"
Was his name Krain? The manager spoke to the completely motionless Krain with a bewildered expression, so I quickly added.
"Please."
With confused eyes that did not understand what was happening at all, Krain slowly nodded his head. I made him do it.
"S-Sir Krain?!"
It did not stop there. Trembling, Krain slowly raised his hand and pointed toward the door, as if to see us off. Still without saying a word.
"Ah, thank you."
I smiled warmly and expressed my gratitude, then walked out of the gambling hall with the bewildered Director. The employees, sensing something was strange but following Krain's order, let us go. As soon as I got outside, I felt my heart pounding like crazy.
"... This is good."
I did not think it would actually work. It worked out much more perfectly than I had thought. I clenched and unclenched my right hand, feeling a thrilling sense of omnipotence that made my brain boil.
This is almost like being invincible.
"J-Jern? What just happened?"
I said bluntly.
"I think we're screwed. We need to run."
I can still maintain that water pressure, but it will be released soon. At those words, the Director gasped and covered his mouth.
"No... Jern!"
"Don't worry too much. I've planned out an escape route..."
"Where did you learn such a bad word! That's a very naughty word, so don't ever use it again." ... ...
To say something like that in this situation was so... how should I put it? It was just like the Director.
As I ran through the city's alleys with the Director, I began to feel a sense of crisis. My Tide Sense had expanded to a range of hundreds of meters. It was useful for now, but it was also frightening. '...
No matter how I look at it, this isn't a normal state.' There is something going on.
Definitely.
I did not want to use it so recklessly, but the situation was not exactly comfortable. It had been thirty minutes already, but they showed no signs of giving up.
"Hah, hah... Jern, are we there yet?"
"This should be far enough. We're safe now."
I handed the sack of silver coins to the Director and pointed to another alley.
"If you go straight this way, you'll reach the main road. Remove your disguise somewhere around there and return to the orphanage."
"... What about you?"
"Ah, I have someone to meet. Don't worry too much."
The Director would just be in the way.
"You worked hard today. Go get some rest, and first, please pay off the debt. I'll be going now."
"Ah, Jern...!"
Listening to the Director's voice, I entered the alley and turned several times. They planned to follow me to the end if I did not deal with them. I had to shake them off here.
What a bunch of annoying guys. I reached the end of a dark alley with a convenient dead end and was playing with the currents when I heard a shout.
"There he is! I found him!"
"What? Where, where!"
There stood Krain, the tips of his bald head flushed red, and behind him were thugs holding a bunch of swords. I let out a sneer and greeted them.
"Nice to see you. Why did so many of you come to deal with one kid? How scary."
"This son of a bitch dares to insult me!"
Being rendered completely helpless by the water pressure must have been a huge blow to his pride. I watched him, looking like he wanted to kill me right then and there, and asked nonchalantly.
"Let me ask you one thing. How did you know I was a mage? I didn't particularly use anything like that."
"... What?"
Krain made a face as if he was dumbfounded, then spat on the ground.
"What, a little shit who doesn't even know about mana circle traces is a member of the Red Lotus? I know you guys just borrow the name, but this is ridiculous."
"Red what?"
"Don't play dumb. You, at your age, with that level of achievement... you have to be one of those damn Red Lotus bastards."
Hmm.
I do not know who he was confusing me with, but I got the keywords 'Red Lotus' and 'mana circle traces', so that was enough. I could look them up later. Since I had all the information I needed, I waved my hand.
"Alright, you can go now. I won't chase you."
"This bastard has lost his mind. Just because a surprise attack worked once, you've gotten arrogant. Did you think I'd chase you without a plan?"
Krain burst out laughing and took out a strange bottle along with his sword, throwing it on the ground. -Crash! Made of glass, it shattered instantly and began to emit a blue smoke.
"Go on, try using that magic you're so proud of, you little brat."
At the opponent's inexplicable confidence, I tried to raise the currents. It worked just fine. ... ... Just in case, I tried to manifest wind magic, but it would not budge at all.
Startled, I asked back.
"Wow, what is this? It won't manifest."
"It's a trap to catch third-rate natural bodies like you. What's wrong, can't do anything now that you've lost your precious magic?"
Certain of his victory, Krain spat out taunts filled with ridicule.
"Since you seem to want information, I'll tell you your miserable fate. A prime specimen of a natural body like you will become a breeding beast, spending your entire life mating."
"You'll have to impregnate women who want magical blood dozens of times a day."
"... What?"
"Don't worry too much. You won't die. A doctor will be assigned to manage your health and you'll be fed only high-quality food, so you'll live a long life, without ever being able to leave..."
Hmm.
Maybe I should just get caught without using magic. As I was seriously considering it, Krain grinned.
"We'll have to cut off your arms and legs so you can't escape, though."
"Hey, you should have said that part first..."
I worried for nothing. I sighed and touched the currents. I was not very confident in a fight against a dozen adult men.
Realistically, I should have run. And I could have. However - a sense of elation was flowing through my entire body, leading me to make a slightly reckless decision.
How much am I capable of, as I am now? I wanted to know.
"I brought hemostatic and bandages, so just stay right-!"
Krain's words were cut short.
Thud-!
He was slammed into a nearby wall, creating a crack, and crumpled to the ground unconscious.
"... S-Sir Krain!"
It was simple. I grabbed him with the currents and threw him. That alone was enough impact to crack a wall.
As I scratched my head, wondering how much I should control my strength, the other loyal underlings charged at me with their swords raised.
"He knows combat magic too!"
"Stab him all at once, then he's nothing!"
He was something.
"Wh-what...? I can't get close..."
"What's wrong? I'm right here."
The slashing swords do not reach my body. Even though I just stand still, they slow down and are deflected long before they can touch me. I made a strong current flow around my body.
Strong enough that the muscles of an adult man could not overcome it.
"... How about this!"
A man holding a spear shouted and thrust at me. It could not have pierced the raging flow even if I did not interfere, but I took it from him anyway.
"Huh."
The thug, whose spear was snatched in an instant, stared blankly at the spear rotating in the air. Using my experience of spinning pens in my school days, I spun it a few times in the air before throwing it to the ground.
Thwack!
It embedded itself deep into the ground. ...
"Anyone else?" ... ...
It seemed they did not have enough loyalty to challenge the impossible. They all faltered before grabbing Krain and fleeing.
"This is fun."
I chuckled and picked up a broken piece of the wall, juggling it with the currents. How could I have become so strong without doing anything? At this rate, maybe, there might be a glimmer of hope.
‘From what?’
A strange question. From this Deep Sea, of course. In this Deep Sea, using the power of the Deep Sea... -Drip, drip.
"... Huh?"
I felt the world grow dark. As if a solar eclipse had suddenly occurred, it was turning black and dark. It felt like I was looking through some kind of colored glasses. ... ...
I carefully felt my face. Something hot and wet touched my fingertips near my eyes. When I looked at my hand, it was soaked in a deep red liquid. -Drip, drip, tears of blood were flowing ceaselessly.
"Ah..."
The sense of omnipotence was long gone. Instead, I felt a different sensation. My arms felt heavy. ...
No, not heavy. Every time I moved, I felt a very slight resistance. As if I were in water.
I feel bad for the Director, but- "... Am I screwed?" It seemed the time limit had arrived.