Akashi beckoned impatiently, but there was no one in sight. It wouldn’t do to set the destination without her who held an important role in the party.
…Even if it’s already decided, this is something we should all hear together. Leaving anyone out could lead to unnecessary trouble and inconvenience.
“Still, I don’t see Yuna anywhere. Where did she go?”
“She just went to entrust a guild with distributing flyers in the forest where those long-ears live. We’ve gathered enough money for that during this time. And stop worrying unnecessarily—she’s already explained everything to that one-armed guy.”
“Ah… I see. To find her parents… Wait a moment. You didn’t explain it to us?”
With how quiet things have been recently, I must’ve forgotten about Akashi. I remembered again that one shouldn’t apply common sense to this guy.
“So you’re suggesting we waste time waiting for someone who might not return anytime soon? Even for a Great Mage, time is a precious resource. It needs to be used efficiently—not dragged out like some people who try to please others.”
Little Akashi was at least cute; grown-up Akashi is just annoying. Sarcastically,
“…And speaking of which, I met another you and got Alterra a new cloak from them. That you wasn’t as rotten as you are. Can’t you be more like that?”
“Another me? Hold on, the me living here… Ah, you mean that brat who doesn’t even know what ‘that subject’ is? Don’t call him me. He’s nothing but street trash borrowing my name, knowledge, and memories. Not a proper copy of me.”
Street trash? When I said that, he retorted that he’d never ended up on the street.
“Well, sure, this late-stage replica I made might be a bit outdated, but it’s still different from those street-born ones. Don’t put them on the same level as someone who’s only received my knowledge and memories.”
What difference is there? He talks as if not all Akashis are the same.
“…So if it’s Akashi, isn’t it Akashi? What difference is there? Sorry, I don’t get it since I’m not the same Akashi as you. Is there some kind of ranking system among Akashis?”
“There is. Even if they’re rough copies that can use magic, the street magicians who accidentally touched my memories while sleeping couldn’t possibly use the spells I originally created. That brat is someone who barely grazed my memories in their sleep—a far cry from even being a magician.”
I see. The story was getting complicated, so I stopped there.
“So, a new cloak? That thing? A cloaking cloak. It’s rather crude, but for something made by a kid, it’s decent. Of course, since I made it. Buying it would’ve been a waste of money, but if it was free, you must feel good about it. Naturally, it was obtained for free, right?”
Uh… It cost quite a bit more than “free,” but hiding it wouldn’t make much sense, so I told him it was made from the core of a Dalocos.
“Haha, using such good material to create such a defective item. Impressive. Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. Since it belongs to a worm, let the worm decide what to do with it.”
Akashi chuckled with a look of futility before brushing it off with a laugh. Unaware of this fact, Alterra was fiddling with the cloak.
…There’s no need to tell her it’s defective. We won’t need invisibility often anyway. Let Alterra be satisfied. I called her name and asked her to come over to Akashi.
“Thanks to Alterra, we smoothly crossed the Zikur Mountains and reached ‘The Tower,’ so now we just need to head here. Northeast of the tower, in the middle of the Aindehi Great Swamp.”
“Hold on, ‘The Tower’? Have we already reached it?”
“If that thing you see isn’t the tower, then what is it? This tower existed even in the era of the sound-wizards.”
I thought it was some code or random number sequence that couldn’t be understood without a specific decryption method, but surprisingly, the words used by those dwarves were literal.
“So… We’re going there? What’s that place?”
Alterra looked at me with bright eyes, genuinely curious about our destination. No, you’re too close. Could you back off a little?
“…It’s called the Aindehi Marsh. It’s the largest and widest swamp inland. Oh, if you don’t know what a swamp is…”
Her curious expression vanished instantly, replaced by a hardened face. I briefly wondered if I lacked consideration, but fortunately, it wasn’t the case.
“I know what it is because mom told me. Hmph, swamps… So it’s water…”
That’s why.
—
A marsh means a place that can’t help but get wet, and we have to go there of all places. Just thinking about it made me sigh involuntarily.
Being wet doesn’t mean I can’t use mana. While large-scale operations aren’t possible, I can still protect myself. It’s not like I’m completely undetectable.
…However, apart from that, I can’t sense vibrations through water. Moreover, under the water, the ground doesn’t move as easily as it does on land.
If it’s deep enough that my feet don’t touch the bottom…
Let’s not talk about it. Let’s not even think about it.
“Don’t worry too much. Swamps aren’t deep enough to drown you, and unlike the mountains, dangerous monsters aren’t numerous either.”
Then that’s fortunate, but I still disliked it.
“The treasure vault of the sound-wizards must surely be somewhere underground, so we’ll probably need that worm again. If it refuses, we’ll have to drag it along by force.”
“In that case, we won’t bother looking. Stop saying things like that, Akashi.”
“When will we depart? The day after tomorrow? Three days? Four?”
What exactly isn’t he doing? Ignoring their private conversation, I continued playing with the cloak. How could something so hard it resists my claws feel so soft?
It reminded me of the blanket I used to cover myself with in my original world.
…Even though the memories are fading, there are still things I can’t forget. Like the tactile memory of holding hands with my first girlfriend. I can’t remember the faces of my grandmother and father.
I hope they’re doing well… Those who leave can only hope those they left behind are faring well.
Returning to reality, I slowly infused mana into the cloak, and starting from my fingertips, it gradually became invisible before reappearing.
Meaning it’s only invisible to me. After infusing more mana, I quietly disappeared and poked Myungho lightly on the back of his head.
“Alte…ra? Where did you go? Oh, you’re testing the cloak’s functionality? It’d be better if you stopped. I don’t know where you are right now.”
Oh, this is fun. I carefully poked his thigh with the tip of my tail, making sure not to touch his skin.
“…Altera, it’s boring. You should come out soon.”
Just as I wanted to continue for a bit longer, the invisibility unexpectedly wore off. But I hadn’t used it for very long, had I?
Let’s try again. Infusing mana once more only made my fingertips briefly transparent before reverting.
“…Not permanent, huh? Tch, for someone who isn’t a brat, this kid does nothing properly. If concealment lasts this short, we’ll have to wait again?”
Why is this happening? Trying again yielded the same result. This is strange; it wasn’t like this before.
“…Eh… Alte… According to this Akashi, if we want to stay hidden for long, we’ll have to wait.”
“What? There’s no such thing!”
That Akashi maintained constant invisibility using just a core. Yet, he claims he can’t do the same despite being the same Akashi?
This is as bad as breaking it!
“This is rigged! According to him, it should last forever!”
Honestly, I didn’t expect it to last permanently, but I at least expected it to last five minutes.
How can it turn off after thirty seconds?
“Wait, wait! She’s still young!”
“And it’s Akashi. Great Mage!”
With your level of knowledge, you should’ve been able to make something better than this, right?
Well, at least it’s sturdy and stylish, so I’ll give you credit for that with my right hand. If I were left-handed, I’d credit the left. Either way, I’ll break your wrist.
“Oh, you’re going to deal with the brat? Then I’ll join too. It’s annoying how arrogant they keep getting, so it’s time to show them what the real Akashi is capable of. Hey, let me use a spellbook. Don’t worry, I won’t harm the body.”
Ignoring the noise from behind, I stepped outside the inn and surrounded my horn with mana. As for the cloak… I liked it, and maybe that small girl could improve it further, so I didn’t throw it away.
Most importantly, I liked it.
Recalling my path, I wandered between alleys. Though disgusting and unsavory creatures stuck to me, a few punches or floating bricks thrown around made them retreat.
In hindsight, I should’ve brought Myungho.
Lost amidst the narrow and complex streets, I eventually lost my way.
I don’t know the way out… But it doesn’t matter. If all else fails, I’ll dig my way out.
Anyway, where am I now? Unlike other places, this area is clean and orderly, suggesting someone manages it.
As I observed silently, someone emerged from a door. A girl with cat ears and tail, neglected and matted, was dragged along by a man holding her leash, grinning wickedly.
Ah, I see.
I was about to ignore it and continue searching for that brat, but her condition tugged at my heart, preventing me from walking away.
I levitated a nearby brick and blocked the man’s path.
