"I didn't expect Subaru's 'gate' to be so... unusual."
"He simply cannot control the output of mana effectively at all."
"Once it opens, it's like a dam bursting; it just won't close back up."
Puck spread his paws helplessly, offering an apology to Gojo Satoru.
"So, in other words, Subaru has zero talent for using magic. Is that about right?" Gojo waved it off. He couldn't blame them; Puck had started this with good intentions, after all.
"Until he can completely control his gate, that is indeed the case, meow."
"Right now, Subaru is like a disposable handkerchief—a one-time use. Every time he uses magic, he'll end up like this."
"If he forces himself to keep using it, he'll overdraw his life force and then... urgh." Puck tilted his head, closed his eyes, and floated limply in mid-air, playing dead.
Gojo Satoru scratched his head as he looked at the "corpse" on the ground—Natsuki Subaru, looking utterly drained.
Chunibyo, love-brained, and zero magical talent...
Can a protagonist like this really save the world?
Or did I misread the genre from the very beginning? Maybe this isn't a 'save the world' type of show, so the lead doesn't need overwhelming power.
However, from what he had gathered, there were plenty of powerful figures in this world. What could a powerless protagonist actually accomplish?
Unable to wrap his head around it for now, Gojo didn't bother overthinking. He stepped forward toward the unconscious Subaru, placed a hand on him, and sensed his condition seriously.
Physically, there was nothing wrong—everything was intact. It was purely an issue of massive mana depletion.
However, after a brief probe, Gojo discovered that this guy actually had a bit of a knack for being a Jujutsu Sorcerer, just as he had suspected.
"Sorry for the trouble. Looking at him, he won't be waking up anytime soon. I'll take him back to his room to rest."
"No, no, we're the ones who caused the trouble!"
"We were supposed to be the ones helping, and yet..."
Emilia pulled Puck over, and both offered their apologies to Gojo. Seeing Emilia's guilt-ridden expression, Gojo suddenly recalled Subaru's earlier words and said with a smile:
"In that case, would you mind granting me a small request?"
Emilia and Puck exchanged a glance. Emilia nodded. "Of course. What is it?"
"I heard from Subaru that he met a little girl spirit this morning who guards a library. Would you mind taking me to see her?"
"If I could take a look at the books inside, that would be even better."
Since it was a "forbidden library," it likely contained a wealth of information regarding magic or hidden lore. It would help him understand this world much better. As her "brother," Puck should have enough pull to make it happen, right?
"Hmm, Betty?" Puck scratched his cheek. "I can go talk to her for you, but I can't guarantee she'll agree."
"That's enough for me."
To Gojo, Roswaal was more than just a source of money; he was a stepping stone to a deeper understanding of this world. He wasn't about to pass up this chance.
Picking up Subaru, Gojo gave the pair a nod and headed back toward the mansion.
He's going to be pretty disappointed when he wakes up and finds out he can't use magic, isn't he? Gojo thought silently.
Arriving at Subaru's room with the boy in his arms, Gojo paused.
"If you don't mind, Miss Ram, perhaps you could come over and lend a hand? You've been watching for quite a while now."
At the corner of the corridor, a small pink head popped out following Gojo's words.
"Please do not misunderstand, guest. Ram simply did not want Lord Roswaal to accidentally see or hear anything... peculiar."
Gojo looked down at Subaru, who was currently being held in a bridal carry. After a moment's thought, he walked up to Ram.
While she looked on with a bewildered expression, he unceremoniously stuffed Subaru into her arms.
"Don't worry, Miss Ram. This fixes the problem."
Ram staggered, nearly losing her footing. She stared at Gojo with a deadpan expression.
"The guest certainly knows how to order people around."
"Aiyee, surely the lovely Miss Ram wouldn't mind such a small thing."
"Ram is already lovely enough; that is a fact the guest does not need to confirm."
Ram, wobbling slightly under Subaru's weight, pushed the door open and entered the room.
Emilia and Puck caught up then, watching as Ram settled Subaru in for a rest. Emilia's eyes were still filled with worry.
"Looks like he won't be awake for a while," Puck said to Emilia, looking at the bed.
"Puck, take Satoru to find Betty first. I'll stay here and look after Subaru," Emilia said seriously.
"Then we'll head out first and find Lia later." Puck floated lazily onto Gojo's shoulder. "Let's go."
As they stepped out of the room, Puck explained: "Because she guards the forbidden library, Betty has linked its door to every door in the mansion. It's constantly shifting."
"If you don't find the right door, you'd have to open every single door in the mansion."
"Sounds like a pain."
"Well, for others, maybe. But Puck is Betty's most, most favorite brother!"
Puck spoke with absolute confidence, then simply began calling out loudly in the middle of the hallway.
"Betty!"
Not a moment later, Gojo's keen perception picked up a strange fluctuation on the door behind him. According to this world's elemental classifications, the energy appearing on the door was Yin mana.
As the fluctuations gathered, the door behind them—which had just been Subaru's room—suddenly swung open.
A petite girl dressed in an elaborate frilled Lolita dress with blonde hair styled into spiral twin-tails came running out. She was small, barely standing at 130cm. However, the most striking feature was her blue eyes, which held a butterfly-patterned pupil.
"Brother! Were you looking for Betty?"
The little girl rushed to Gojo's side in a few quick steps. She jumped up, snatched Puck from his shoulder, and turned to leave without a single backward glance, heading toward the doorway she had just emerged from.
From start to finish, she hadn't looked at Gojo once. To her, he was as invisible as a lifeless statue.
"Betty, actually..."
Puck, being rubbed incessantly by the girl's smooth cheek, let out a giggling laugh.