by Geli Cake
First off, there seemed to be one of each type of attack scroll. With just these, I could probably solo a B-rank monster subjugation.
And defense scrolls. Ones that activated immediately upon tearing it, and one with barrier types. He bought every range available.
'Whoa, a teleportation scroll?'
And lastly, the legendary teleportation magic circle. While Transfer magic moved objects, teleportation magic circles transported living beings, making it a much higher-level magic. There were no books or places to learn it, so I had only ever dreamed of using it someday.
"If you slightly lower the power on these, you'll be able to learn them quickly."
I copied the scrolls onto paper after dismantling them, erased the activation conditions, simplified the formulas, and streamlined the magic circles.
Honestly, the reason I did this was because buying scrolls was so expensive. But for someone learning magic, buying one perfectly designed scroll and dismantling it to learn the magic was probably better than buying a whole book.
"…Is dismantling magic circles supposed to be this easy?"
"Huh?"
Haylan, who had been intently watching the dismantling process, pointed at a formula in the middle.
"I don't understand how you go from this line to the next."
Everyone said that. They said my magic circle designs were difficult to interpret. But I wasn't good at explaining things or teaching, so memorization was the only option.
"Memorize it. It's for self-defense, so it needs to be activated instantly. Complex designs make that difficult."
"How do you activate a magic circle?"
…Well? I just completed the magic circle, thought about activating it, and it worked out on its own.
"Focus your mind and on a certain spot and slowly channel your mana into the magic circle."
"…Alright."
I recited what was written in the book, and Haylan, with a look that suggested my explanation was completely useless, buried his face back in his notebook.
While he copied the magic circle, I started dismantling the teleportation scroll.
'It's so long…!'
The activation conditions were incredibly complex compared to other scrolls, probably because it would be disastrous if even a single organ was misplaced during teleportation.
It was a type of magic I had never encountered before, but since it applied several formulas that Haylan had previously taught me, I had no trouble understanding it.
Meanwhile, Haylan successfully activated the electric shock magic to about a quarter of its power. In other words, only half of the magic circle lit up.
"It's a matter of proficiency. The mana capacity measured at the temple wasn't lacking, so you'll improve with practice."
"Okay."
"You've never done this before, right?"
"It's my first time."
Haylan's eyes sparkled. Cute. I was glad he seemed interested.
I looked over the notebook I had given Haylan, took it back, and marked a few diagrams with checkmarks.
"Don't practice the ones I marked indoors. It's best to go up to the roof."
Because I didn't want him to experience what I went through.
"Obviously, I know that much."
Really? That's good. I didn't know…
I had lost count of how many doors I had burned down, how many times I had flooded the house trying to put out the fires, and how many times Ryzen had chased me for it.
"Is that a Transfer magic scroll?"
Haylan leaned closer. He was looking at the crumpled scroll I had been fiddling with.
Oops, I didn't ask for permission to look at it, and it wasn't even mine.
"Sorry."
"For what?"
"Are you upset because I crumpled the scroll?"
Haylan's face contorted strangely.
"…Do you think I would get angry over something so trivial? What do you take me for?"
If only you knew…
"I'll give it to you."
"Wow, really?"
He's giving me this expensive thing as a gift? I asked in disbelief, my eyes wide. I quickly pulled the scroll closer before he could change his mind.
"Hehe, thanks."
I never refused gifts. It was best to accept them quickly before the person who gave them took them back.
"It's almost dinner time, so I should get going."
"Already?"
Yes, already. We don't get fed if we're late. Only the swift get to eat. I checked the time and hurriedly grabbed my coat, getting up.
"Do you want to meet up later tonight?"
"Tonight?"
"The amount of mana you can handle increases when your body grows, so it'll be easier to practice. You can just test it out tonight…"
"…Is that you asking me out on a date?"
"What are you talking about, you little kid."
He looked cute and funny, joking around in that form. I burst out laughing and lightly pinched Haylan's cheek. It was so white and soft, it stretched like a rice cake.
'Was he serious?'
Haylan didn't laugh along with me, but just stared at me blankly. When I stopped laughing, he rested his cheek against his palm and whispered,
"I'll act like a child. Since you like it… During the day, I'll be the way you want me to be."
"...."
"See you at midnight then."
Sneaking out at midnight was more difficult than I expected. The night owls were downstairs, playing cards and chatting loudly. If I confidently opened the door and walked out in that situation…
'Where are you going in the middle of the night? What? To the lady's house across the street? Are you crazy? You little rascal! Go to bed! These young people these days, tsk…'
…They would nag me endlessly. I could already picture it. I hesitated at the top of the stairs, looking downstairs, and then eventually decided to make my escape.
I opened the door to the second-floor hallway, carefully climbed down the building's exterior wall, and quickly circled the building, grabbing the doorknob and turning it, afraid of being caught going outside.
As planned, the door was unlocked.
"You're here, guest?"
I closed the door behind me and bowed deeply.
"Sorry to bother you at this hour."
"Oh, no worries. I have trouble sleeping at night as I get older."
Then I'll head up. Mrs. Meilin smiled warmly and sent me upstairs. Perhaps because of the sunlight, everyone seemed to be in a better mood than when they were in Peristene.
"Huh?"
I was about to knock on the bedroom door when the door behind me suddenly swung open. My wrist was grabbed, and I was instantly pulled into the study before the door slammed shut behind me.
Haylan frowned and asked,
"Why are you so late? I've been waiting for an hour."
"It's only 12:10."
"Exactly."
"...?"
Wasn't midnight our agreed time? Anyway, since it was also true that I was 10 minutes late, I really had nothing to say.
"Sorry. I was late sneaking out past the guys."
"Why did you have to sneak out?"
"I couldn't just walk out confidently since it was bedtime. They would have asked me where I was going."
"Why didn't you tell them you were coming here?"
"They would have scolded me for going to someone else's house at this hour. And I wouldn't have known what to say if they asked why."
"...."
Haylan clicked his tongue with a somewhat displeased expression. I hadn't noticed it during the day, but…
'It's really cramped.'
Was this room originally used for storage? I thought it was a study just big enough for the two of us, with a desk taking up half the room. However, that was only when Haylan was in his child form.
'It's small…'
Moreover, Haylan's chair was child-sized; it looked like it would break if either of us sat on it.
I looked down at Haylan, who had taken my chair, but then he grabbed my hand, and before I knew it, I ended up sitting on his lap.
"What are you doing?"
"Weren't you standing there because there was nowhere to sit?"
That's true, but…
"This is my chair."
"It's mine since it's in my house."
"…Then I'll go get another chair."
"That's mine too."
"Just let me borrow it."
"Just sit with me. You used to do this to me all the time."
He pulled me back as I tried to get up. Then he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, preventing me from escaping.
Haylan was strong at night. From experience, I knew struggling would only tire me out, and things would end up going Haylan's way.
'Sigh.'
Haylan adjusted his hold on me as I relaxed against him and said,
"I'm about halfway there now. Want to see?"
"Hey, don't talk right next to my neck."
"Are you ticklish?"
"Not really."
"Then it doesn't matter."
"…I guess not?"
It felt a little strange, but it wasn't ticklish, so it should be fine. I quickly nodded in agreement.
"Watch closely."
As Haylan channeled his mana into the magic circle, the lines began to glow from the outer edges. The yellow light spread along the lines and letters he had drawn, then vanished abruptly halfway through, as if a switch had been flipped.
"Wow, you must have practiced a lot even after I left."
"…Yeah."
"Didn't your mana capacity increase?"
"I'm not sure…"
It feels the same as during the day.
He tilted his head and started activating the magic circle from the beginning again, and this time, one more character lit up compared to before.
"You did well. Once you get the hang of it, you'll learn the others quickly."
I was genuinely impressed.
He was learning really fast. I was using cheat keys, but I knew it wasn't easy for someone learning magic for the first time to get the hang of it in less than a day. Haylan was a hard worker.
I felt so proud that I almost patted his head like I used to when he was in his child form, but I stopped myself.
'Is this okay?'