Eternally Regressing in Another World

Chapter 42: Square 36: A Power Like a Nursing Infant

”You’re joking, right!?”

Inside the carriage, Elizabeth’s voice rang out sharply enough to hurt the ears.

”I’m serious, my level is just 1.”

I figured stating my level outright would be faster than dragging out some long explanation back at the mansion. Judging by Elizabeth’s reaction, that might’ve been the right call.

”...In that case, what’s your strongest element?”

Element? Right, the book had mentioned something about types of magic.

”Um, is it one of fire, water, wood, lightning, or spirit?”

”What else would there be?”

Guess that matched what I’d read before. ...Which one am I best at, out of those. The only one I could arguably call a success was...

”...Wood, maybe?”

”Hmm, then would you mind showing me a simple spell?”

A simple spell, huh. I gave Elizabeth a mischievous grin.

”Unfortunately, I can’t do simple magic.”

”...What do you mean by that?”

”I mean, I’m about to show you my strongest magic!”

A few minutes later, needless to say, the carriage echoed with laughter at the sight of what had sprouted from my palm.

”Ahahahahahahaha!!! A... a baby’s magic! Ahahahahahahahahaha... cough, cough!”

Choking on her own laughter now. And the carriage had been swerving left and right this whole time. Tender laughing along was fine, but I’d appreciate some proper driving too.

”Bean sprout... hahaha, hee! Heeheehee... a bean sprout... a bean sprout...!”

It’s a daikon radish sprout, actually.

”Ugh, you don’t have to laugh that hard.”

Technically, I did have one more trick up my sleeve. The spell I’d used on Nest earlier, admittedly a bit grotesque by this point.

”...There’s no blood still on it, right?”

Getting a bit anxious, I turned my back to hide it and whispered ”dice” quietly. A faint flame appeared in my hand, forming a small six sided cube. Its surface was spotless, no trace of blood like I’d worried. This should be enough to shut those two laughing hyenas up.

”Alright, time to show you the real thing!”

Honestly, I still didn’t fully understand this one, but it was undeniably the most magic looking of the bunch. I dismissed the die in my hand first, made sure I had their attention, then opened my palm wide.

”Dice!”

Same as I’d done against Nest, I shouted with enough force to make my hand throb. ...Nothing happened.

”D-don’t force it, it’s fine, really...”

”Why? ...No, seriously, why!? Wait, it definitely came out just now, right, right!?”

”Pfft, hahahaha!!”

My desperate excuses did nothing to stop the wave of laughter.

”You’re laughing plenty, but can you actually use magic properly!?”

”Hmhm, hm? Ah... me?”

”Yeah.”

Elizabeth seemed like the type who trained purely in physical combat. Which probably meant magic wasn’t exactly her strong suit. I gave her a smug look.

”Well... honestly, I wanted to wait until I properly knew who you really were before showing you this.”

Saying that, Elizabeth closed her fan.

”Well, fine. Watch closely.”

Elizabeth slowly gripped her fan. By the time I noticed, the fan had transformed into a white parasol, identical to the one she always carried.

”That spell, you just did that a second ago too, right? What’s going on with that?”

”What are you talking about, this is exactly the magic you asked for. My unique technique lets me duplicate a favored item. Officially named ’Recreation Magic’! Most rod shaped objects, I can turn into a parasol.”

Saying that, Elizabeth reached toward my bag.

”Hey! You planning to turn my bag into a parasol!?”

”I can’t transform something square shaped like that. Do you have anything rod shaped?”

”Rod shaped, huh... will this work?”

I pulled a cheap ballpoint pen out of my pencil case.

”...Make sure you give it back, seriously.”

”Of course.”

The moment she said that, Elizabeth snatched the pen from my hand. And in an instant, transformed it into a white parasol right before my eyes.

”...That’s genuinely impressive, but it does turn back, right?”

Not that losing it would be a huge deal, but it was still a valuable item I’d brought from my original world.

”Of course it turns back.”

Sure enough, the parasol reverted immediately back into the pen. Not used to seeing magic like this, it felt almost like watching a magic trick.

”With magic like that, you could crank out hundreds of these and sell them.”

”Can’t make that many. Maybe five or six a day at most. Any more than that, and my magic power and stamina won’t hold up.”

Since I didn’t have any concept of magic power myself, I couldn’t really relate. Once it runs dry, is that basically the same as just getting exhausted?

”Hey, this unique technique thing, could I learn it too?”

”...A-are you serious right now?”

”...Just kidding.”

I could tell from Elizabeth’s expression alone. Face flushed red, barely holding back laughter, it was pretty clear there wasn’t a chance in hell. In the end, I ended up getting thoroughly teased the whole ride back to the mansion.

”Welcome home!!!!”

The perfectly synchronized voices of the mansion staff wrapped around the carriage. The carriage passed through the mansion gates, hooves clopping beautifully against the ground.

”Welcome home, my la...dy?”

Selva, opening the carriage door, blinked in confusion. Well, fair enough, seeing a noble lady with teary eyes stifling laughter, next to a strangely dressed man staring blankly with dead eyes, would confuse anyone.

”Whatever happened? And who might this gentleman be?”

”Don’t worry about it. Just a guest of mine. More importantly, is the meal ready?”

”A guest... I see. In that case, I’ll have the head chef prepare an extra portion right away.”

Hearing ”meal,” I perked up slightly.

”Oh, is it dragon meat by any chance!?”

At my words, Selva’s face showed clear confusion.

”It is, but... how did you know that? Even my lady wasn’t told the menu, and the smell shouldn’t have reached this far.”

...Slipped up. Having eaten it once before, it just came out without thinking. Just when things were finally going smoothly, the last thing I needed was some weird suspicion over something like this. Better cover this somehow.

”Um, well, you know, when you think ’feast,’ dragon’s the obvious answer, right!? Figured a mansion like this probably eats premium meat like that pretty much every day.”

Not that I actually had any clue how rich people’s dining habits worked. While I sweated internally, Elizabeth jumped into the conversation.

”Please. Eating meat every single day would make anyone fat.”

Not that she meant to, but that was a perfect save. Grateful in my heart, I rode the momentum of her comment.

”Exactly, an all meat table every day, no matter how good it tastes, would wreck your stomach eventually.”

”Precisely. Though, coincidence or not, quite the impressive guess. I’ve never seen Selva make that face before. Ohhohohohoho!”

Managed to talk my way out of that smoothly. Already under suspicion of being an assassin or spy, no need to add anything more suspicious before we’d properly built trust.

”My apologies for the confusion. Please, this way.”

We followed Selva. As we approached the dining hall, an irresistible aroma gradually reached my nose.

”Right this way.”

Beyond the opened doors, a beautifully arranged full course spread out. Soup, carpaccio, lasagna, sautéed shellfish.

”Your steak is being prepared as we speak. Please enjoy the appetizers in the meantime.”

In the end, without any further interrogation from Elizabeth, the meal wrapped up as nothing more than a pleasant dinner among friends.