“Listen carefully. What we call magic is, at its core, the power of this world’s fundamental laws.”
As she continued walking through the dark, damp sewer, Yuuri listened to Iris’s lecture while keeping part of her attention on the sounds within the sewers.
It was quieter than expected. Apart from the gentle flow of dirty water, there were only a few squeaks and scurrying noises.
Probably just rats living in the sewers. For now, there was nothing unusual.
Safe.
“Hey, Yuuri-chan, are you even listening?”
“Ah, oh, of course.”
“Really?”
Little Evil God floated in front of her, scarlet eyes filled with suspicion.
“You’ve been spacing out for a while now.”
“Have I?”
She was only slightly distracted. She’d heard everything Iris said. If she didn’t believe her, she could test her on it.
After staring at her for several moments, Iris finally looked away.
“Forget it, forget it. I get the feeling you don’t really want to hear the details, anyway.”
“That’s not true, I think it all sounds pretty interesting.”
“Hah? Then why don’t you focus and listen? Don’t think I don’t know—you keep spacing out. What are you distracted by?”
She really did notice?
“Honestly, I’m explaining all this to you personally, you know! But not only are you not listening, you’re even keeping watch on this sewer. As expected, Yuuri-chan, you’re just the type who likes crawling into places like this, aren’t you?”
That’s not something you should say.
“Wasn’t it you, Iris, who said we might get double-crossed? It’s only natural for me to keep an ear out for trouble.”
“You’ve got me keeping watch for you.”
Didn’t she just say earlier she wouldn’t help? How quickly she changes her tune.
Seeing the smirk at the corner of Yuuri’s lips, Iris instantly realized what she’d just said and turned her little face away in a huff.
“Don’t overthink it. I just want you to concentrate on learning magic, that’s all.”
“Yes, yes.”
With Iris keeping watch, Yuuri didn’t need to divide her focus between learning and the sewer environment.
Still, she thought she caught a strange scent in the air—one that was different from the usual sewer stench.
When Yuuri tried to trace the source of that odor, it was already gone.
Was it too far away?
Maybe if she went deeper, she’d be able to figure it out.
“Hey, hey, Yuuri-chan.”
A sulky Little Evil God appeared in her view. “I’m really going to get mad now.”
“Go on, I’m listening.”
After staring at her again for a while, Iris finally looked away.
“Let me put it simply. Magic is when the caster uses their consciousness to communicate with mana particles, forms a specific spell structure, interferes with reality, and causes the phenomenon they desire.”
As she spoke, Iris circled around her, eyeing her up and down, then shook her head.
“So, being able to sense mana particles, communicate with them, and transform them into magic power stored in your body—that’s the natural requirement for a mage. But Yuuri-chan, you…”
She really had no talent for learning magic. That much was clear since she was a child—she couldn’t sense the presence of mana particles at all, let alone anything else.
“I really don’t have any aptitude for learning magic.”
“That’s certainly true.”
Iris added mercilessly, “I can feel it very clearly inside your body. Even a stone might have some markings, but you don’t have a single decent mana pathway.”
Wow, thanks for the compliment.
“But, well, you should thank me for having my soul dwelling inside you. That way, you have a stable source of magic power. All you need to do now is construct a few stable mana pathways and improve your physique, and you’ll naturally be able to use magic normally.”
As she spoke, Iris placed her hands on her hips, wearing a smug expression.
Just waiting to be praised, huh?
“So, for now, does that mean I still can’t use magic?”
“Are you underestimating me?”
Iris’s face changed in an instant. She pouted unhappily, glaring at Yuuri. “Have you forgotten who’s in your body? All I have to do is release a bit of power and guide you through the spell structure, and you’ll be able to use magic.
Put simply, it’s like a shortcut. Otherwise, if I let you learn at your own pace, before your mana pathways are built, you wouldn’t be able to do it even after a year or more.”
As she spoke, Iris propped up her chin, eyes flashing as if deep in thought.
“Hmm… let me think. If I had you fight like a proper mage now, Yuuri-chan, you definitely wouldn’t be able to adapt.”
Fight like a mage?
Yuuri tried to imagine it. Abandoning her usual close-range fighting style, wielding a magic staff from afar, chanting all kinds of complicated incantations, casting spells.
Yeah… that was definitely not her style.
“Then let’s try this first—enchanting your weapon with magic.”
Enchant?
“I remember, with certain magic items, you can make flames or electricity coat your weapon.”
“Those are just tools—nowhere near as practical as real magic. And you don’t want to have to scrub your weapon with some item for half a day every time you want to enchant it, do you? If you learn magic, all it takes is a thought.”
By the sound of it, Iris was right—it was more convenient than using magic items. Besides, those items were pretty expensive, and Yuuri didn’t have much money.
“Now, try to sense that new kind of flow inside you…” Iris lay on her shoulder and started giving instructions. “It’s faint, like a little stream, running through the mana pathways in your body. Try to feel it, control it, then guide it toward your right hand, and channel it into your dagger…”
Following her instructions, Yuuri tried her best to focus.
At first, she had no clue—she couldn’t feel any flow inside her at all. But under Iris’s subtle, invisible guidance, she gradually sensed it. There was an unfamiliar energy running through her, like an undercurrent beneath the surface, clumsily guided by her as it slowly flowed toward her right hand holding the dagger.
The process wasn’t as smooth as she’d imagined. The unfamiliar energy kept faltering, breaking off, and she had to keep gathering and guiding it toward her right arm.
“Good, just like that. Next, imagine a ball of fire appearing in your palm, wrapping around the blade of your dagger…”
Just as a rush of heat surged in her palm, Yuuri once again caught that strange scent from before.
It was a stench, but unlike the filth of the sewer—it smelled more like something rotten.
“Over there.”
“Hey, Yuuri-chan?”
Just as she was about to succeed, Yuuri suddenly stopped casting, and dashed toward a bend not far away.
For the third time—this was too much.
She really was angry now!
Chasing after Yuuri, Iris saw her turn the corner, and the light from her lamp illuminated a lumpy bundle at the side of the tunnel.
Yuuri stopped in front of the bundle wrapped in filthy cloth. Iris, already fuming, was about to explode.
“Yuuri-chan, I’m mad at you now.”
Little Evil God was furious. If she didn’t get a reasonable explanation this time, she was going to summon black sludge and hang Yuuri up.
“There’s something here.”
With that, Yuuri gripped her dagger and lifted the filthy cloth wrapping whatever was underneath.
“Hey, hey, Yuuri-chan, you…”
Just as she started to speak, Yuuri lifted the cloth, revealing a human corpse that had been hidden underneath.