Volume 1 Chapter 26 The Dark Spell
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Rumi found out that I spent the night with Alice.
When I returned to the room, Rumi was standing there with a smile, but it was clear she was angry.
Seeing her like that made me tremble, and I instinctively sat on the floor in a formal position.
”I’m sorry! Actually, when I was 5, I first met Alice after the ‘Rite of Revelation,’ and I fell in love with her then. After we met again in the dungeon and fought at the deepest part, I liked her just as much as I like you, Rumi!”
At my confession, Rumi’s expression softened a bit, but she still looked doubtful.
”Just as much… So, you want to be with Alice?”
”Yeah, that’s right. But what I really wish for is for the 4 of us──me, you, Alice, and Nana──to go on adventures together in this world.”
”Umm… well, I guess I can’t help it… I don’t dislike Alice, and she’s as strong as you, Rob. I want to adventure together too, so I’ll forgive you!”
”R-Really!?”
”Yeah! But you have to treat everyone equally! I won’t allow you to treat anyone as more special than the others!”
Rumi’s strong will showed in her expression, which was both cute and a little scary.
”Thank you! Yes, I’ll cherish everyone with all my heart and make sure we’re all happy!”
Rumi showed a small smile.
”…But in 2 or 3 days, we’re going back to Grove Village, right? Are you taking Alice with you?”
”Uh, well… I’ll ask Alice, but she’ll probably say no…”
When Rumi heard that, she looked a bit disappointed.
”…? Is that so?”
”Yeah. Alice has important people here, and she probably wants to protect them. Plus, even though we haven’t met yet, she’ll need her parents’ permission too.”
I tried to sound convincing, but Rumi still looked worried.
”I see… So, when you become an adventurer next year, will you come here?”
”That’s the plan for now… But this place is right next to the demon race’s country, and it could be attacked by the Demon King, so I want to avoid it as much as possible until I’m strong enough…”
When I said that, Rumi’s expression turned serious.
”The Demon King… They must be really strong, huh?”
There was a hint of fear in Rumi’s voice.
”Yeah, probably. Even if my dad and mom teamed up, it would still be tough… maybe.”
I recalled my knowledge from games.
It was only possible to win with a hero’s cheat party, so even with my mom’s support, having just my dad as the only holy attribute user would still be difficult.
* * *
Early the next morning, Rumi was able to wake up early too. She took a wooden spear, and Alice took a wooden sword, and they were fiercely sparring.
”‘Swift Wind Lightning’!”
”‘Godspeed Dance’!”
Both of their super-fast movement skills activated, and in an instant, they disappeared from sight.
Like some kind of battle tribe, they appeared and clashed weapons all over the place, making it impossible to follow them just by watching.
Both “Swift Wind Lightning” and “Godspeed Dance” consumed stamina quickly, so they shouldn’t be able to use them too often, but they kept using them repeatedly…
Oh, it looks like Rumi got tired and stopped moving.
And then, Alice stopped her wooden sword just short of Rumi’s neck, ending the match.
”Great job, both of you! You were so fast, it was fun to watch!”
I used Earth Magic to create 2 cups and poured water with Water Magic, handing them to the two of them.
”I’m so tired~~~ Thanks for the water, Rob.”
Rumi said, putting her hands on her knees, looking pretty worn out.
”Haah… haah… Rumi, you were amazing too. I didn’t think we could fight like that. Hehe, thanks, Rob.”
Alice said, also looking like she had put in a good effort for an early morning training session.
Looks like both of them are tired…
Alright, let’s focus on practicing Space-Time Magic this morning.
I went back to the guest room and read the spellbook for Space-Time Magic.
* * *
Here’s the list of Space-Time Magic Level 2 spells I plan to learn next.
I still need to chant to activate them, so I don’t plan to use them in battle yet, but they’re all useful spells, and I want to be able to use them without chanting soon.
Fourth Rank ‘Time Shade’: A magic that calls forth shadows of events that happened within a certain time frame, allowing me to analyze the enemy’s actions by recreating the situation and actions from that moment.
Fifth Rank ‘Time Foresight’: A magic that visualizes the future a few seconds ahead, letting me know part of what will happen next.
Sixth Rank ‘Time Wave’: A magic that can temporarily rewind time within a specific area. The maximum rewind time is ten seconds.
Seventh Rank ‘Time Lock’: A magic that completely seals the enemy’s movements, temporarily disabling their actions.
All of these are useful spells, but they consume even more Magic Power.
The most useful magic here is the 6th level, ‘Time Wave.’
If you or your friends get hurt, it can be used as healing magic.
The 7th rank is powerful magic, but in ‘Princess Rave,’ debuff types didn’t work on the Demon King, so it would be used on other tough enemies.
* * *
After breakfast, we gathered in Alice’s room to think about our plans for today.
”Rob’s wish was to go to the library, right? Is there a book you want to read?”
Alice asked me with kind eyes.
”Yeah, I was hoping to read a book on dark magic, but I wonder if you need permission for that in this country?”
I decided to ask, feeling a bit nervous.
”Yes. You do need permission to read those books in this country, but we have one in this mansion. Should I bring it to you?”
Alice answered with a smile.
”I’m really happy about that… but is it okay to show me a book that needs permission so easily?”
”I trust you, Rob. If there are other books you want to see, just let me know.”
Alice’s words carried her trust and kindness. I felt a little relieved.
”I’m also a bit interested in the history of this country, but we don’t have much time, so dark magic is fine for now.”
”Okay. Rumi, do you want to read something too?”
Alice continued to ask gently, and Rumi looked a bit shy as she thought.
”Um, well… I’d like to read a cooking book, maybe…”
Rumi’s slightly embarrassed expression was cute, and I couldn’t help but smile.
”Oh! That sounds great! How about we read it together and try making some sweets?”
”Yeah! Let’s make them together!”
Rumi’s eyes sparkle with happiness.
”Rob, please try it later~♪.”
Alice says cheerfully, and Rumi eagerly joins in.
”Hehe, I’m going to make something super delicious!”
Seeing Rumi’s confident look, my excitement grows.
”Haha, I’m looking forward to it!”
* * *
After receiving the dark magic spellbook from Alice, I quickly start reading it.
It listed dark magic from First Rank to Tenth Rank.
First Rank ‘Shadow Strike’: A magic attack that sends a blade of shadow at the target, causing pain.
Second Rank ‘Curse Touch’: A magic that curses the target, worsening their health for a while.
Their HP gradually decreases, and their actions are limited.
Third Rank ‘Dark Shock’: A powerful dark energy attack that damages the enemy.
It also temporarily weakens the enemy’s Magic Power.
Fourth Rank ‘Dark Shield’: A magic that creates a barrier of dark energy around yourself or an ally, reducing damage.
Fifth Rank ‘Fear Scream’: A magic that instills fear in the enemy, lowering their fighting spirit.
For a certain time, it decreases the enemy’s attack power and accuracy.
Sixth Rank ‘Shadow Bind’: A debuff magic that wraps shadows around the target’s feet, temporarily sealing their actions.
Seventh Rank ‘Silent Fog’: A magic that creates a thick fog around, making a space that seals mages.
Eighth Rank ‘Dark Blessing’: A buff-type magic that temporarily increases the attack power and magic power of allies by pouring in your own Magic Power.
Ninth Rank ‘Dark Disruption’: A magic that can cast a spell on a specific enemy, lowering that enemy’s abilities for a while.
Tenth Rank ‘Dark Collection’: A powerful attack magic that gathers the surrounding darkness to form a huge energy and releases it all at once towards the target.
I take notes on the chanting spells for each magic and their effects.
This applies to all magic, but if you don’t deepen your knowledge of the magic and can’t visualize it in detail, you might waste Magic Power, accidentally use a different magic, or worst of all, it might not activate at all.
While I’m at Alice’s house, it might be best to just read this book thoroughly.
* * *
”Rob, I made some snacks!”
Rumi confidently holds up the snacks and calls out with a smile.
”I worked hard on them! Please try them~♪.”
Alice also brings over the freshly made snacks with a smile.
Now, the fun snack time begins!
First, the confident Alice starts the introduction.
”What I made is this. ‘Petal Fruit Tart’! It’s a tart made with a variety of colorful fruits and topped with edible flowers~♪.”
It looks really elegant and cute.
It’s a dish that suits Alice perfectly.
But, petals… remembering last night’s events makes me feel a bit embarrassed.
”Next is my turn! Ta-da! ‘Fruit Bomb Candy!’ When you eat it, fruits burst out, and it’s definitely a candy that will make you feel energetic!~ ♪.”
…Fruits burst out, huh.
It seems like a candy that takes a bit of courage to eat.
I’m really happy that Rumi made such a cute and fun candy.
”Thank you both! I’ll try them right away!”
I smiled at both of them and decided to eat.
First, I’ll start with Alice’s candy, which looks safe to eat.
…Yeah, it’s just delicious.
It has a mild sweetness, and even though I don’t really like sweet things, I can enjoy it.
Now it’s Rumi’s turn.
I felt a bit nervous, but I tossed the Fruit Bomb Candy into my mouth.
Boom!!
”──Bwah!!”
Even though I had my mouth closed, the explosion forced it open, and I spit a little out!
…What a terrifying thing Rumi made…!
Both of them burst out laughing.
They probably knew what would happen since they tried it first…
With that, I was able to have a fun day.
Surrounded by Rumi and Alice’s smiles, I felt truly happy.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.