Cesare placed the glass on the window frame. There were three or four sips of coffee left.
As he raised his head, his eyes stared at her as the distance got closer. A purple light flashed in his eyes, and Catherine couldnât move her body.
âStrange.â
It was Catherine who felt strange. It was because his eyes felt like they were licking the insides.
âNo matter how much I think about it, Catherine, you are⊠a very strange and absurd existence to me who has lived for thousands of years.â
Only after Catherine took a step back did Cesare lean back. He asked with an unresolved expression.
âHow did you get into the abyss?â
Did he just notice it with that word? His sense unexpectedly was surprising.
âI should be careful no matter what I say in front of Cesare from now on.â
She felt like he was reading her inside, but she didnât know if it was really being read. Catherine answered as casually as possible.
âI really want to ask. How did you get there?â
âThe words of going somewhere and entering the abyssâŠâ
âIf you go around saying youâve entered the abyss, youâll be dissected by wizards crazy about research, so be careful? Okay. Keep that in mind.â
The really, really weird thing is Cesare. While pointing out her abnormalities as if to say a word, at best, he advises not to be caught.
She had never thought that the special was good, but the unusual was good.
The same with the roots and the one that came into the abyss this time. Catherine didnât like the fact that she was experiencing things that were a little different from others.
âBut it seems that there are things in the world that Cesare doesnât know.â
âIf there is, itâs usually hard to interpret it in the best way.â
He went down the stairs ahead. Catherine, staring at Cesareâs back, followed behind him.
âAre you scaring me?â
He laughed softly.
âAre you scared? Was it even scary?â
By the time they reached the drawing-room, the fireplace and brazier lights were already on. There were no trees, but seeing the blazing flames didnât bother her anymore.
âYeah, youâre still a human being. As long as you make a contract with me, there will be no threat to you in your lifetime.â
As soon as Cesare sat down, he poured water from the teapot, which she didnât know from when, into a teacup that she didnât know where it appeared. As she sat down in front of him, Catherine answered.
âYou said itâs hard to interpret it in a good way. Itâs not because my constitution is a mutation or something like that?â
âIâll revive you even if you die, so I think thatâs enough to imagine. No, itâs better to have a productive delusion because itâs a waste of time to imagine. What kind of job will you have if you are reborn as a worm?â
Does she have to have a job if she was born as a worm? Or is it time to impress Cesare?
After that conversation, there was no more conversation between the two of them for a while. She heard only the sound of rain pouring down and the sound of flames swaying sparsely.
When she looked blankly at the sky outside the window and turned her head, there was an old book in Cesareâs hand.
Now, when she was next to Cesare, it was not strange to see anything coming from anywhere. Even if the Emperor appeared in the seat next to him, she seemed can let it go.
âŠNo, but she didnât hear the correct answer to the question, did she?
âSo when do we start learning magic?â
The eyes facing the book slipped toward her.
âLetâs learn when the trip is over.â
âThen can I keep calling Remor from now on?â
âSpeaking about that, letâs call it now.â
âNow?â
In this tiny house? The big whale? Of course, when she called it, it was a translucent form that didnât cause physical damageâ.
âYou said you want to learn?â
Even if the house collapses, Cesare will fix it anyway. Catherine nodded her head and said the devilâs name.
â[Remor]â
A red magic circle is drawn on the floor. It was clearly smaller than the two magic circles seen in Lilith.
Pong.
Then, along with a cute sound effect, a whale the size of a fist appeared from the tiny bubbles that popped up.
ăUhm?ă
Why is this so small?
Unable to hide her embarrassment, Cesare, sitting in silence, asked her.
âDid you adjust the size yourself?â
âUh, no. It was a lot bigger than this last time.â
He slowly swept his chin tightly closed with his white and long fingers.
âHow did you call it?â
How did she call it?
Catherine was confused. She simply says the name, but if he asks how she said itâ.
âThe reason roots are important to human wizards is that they differ in how mana is used. Among them, in the case of transferenceâ As I said, it was the first time in a human case, so it was difficult to explain.â
Catherine has also learned that much from magic. She only remembered learning, but she didnât remember the contents. So Catherine decided to be honest.
âI just call it.â
And she added a back story to the memory of the pain that suddenly came to mind.
âAh, I remember being in a lot of pain. I felt like my stomach was twisted. Fortunately, it disappeared quicklyââ
Cesareâs eyes were filled with a hint of misery. He shook his head briefly and called for Remor, who was still twitching his eyes at the place where he was summoned.
âRemor.â
ăYes, Master.ă
âHow did you feel when Miss Catherine called you for the first time?
ăOf course, I thought Master was calling me.ă
Humans can use mana through contracts with devils. However, borrowing the mana of the devil doesnât mean that the mana used by humans shows the devilâs characteristics.
The mana shared through the contract has its own characteristics depending on the wizardâs roots and operation method.
In other words, it was impossible to feel Cesareâs energy in Catherineâs call. Arenât their roots different in the first place?
âYou can go back now.â
ăYes.ă
The devil disappeared at the kingâs order. Cesare closed the book that had been unfolding with a refreshing face.
âI think we should just accept it this way.â
What?
âMiss Catherine is a magic genius.â
âWhat?â
Am I hearing nonsense just now? She clung to the chair with her sticky buttocks. Cesare seems satisfied even though it wasnât fresh.
âAs long as you learn well, you will be the best wizard in the history of the empire. If you follow your individual will, you can surpass Shagweed II.â
âMe?â
This is what weâre talking about, right? An unrivaled wizard in history? To surpass Shagweed II? These were words that she had no choice but to question with a bewildered expression.
âFor Miss Catherine to summon Remor with only true name, it is as if you used a knife without hands.â
It was an excellent comparison, but Catherine had never tried to use a knife without her hands, so she was obscure.
No matter how she reacted, Cesare was very calm. He seemed peaceful, casual, joyful, and even proud.
He nodded again and opened his mouth.
âThe best wizard in the world is my contractor⊠itâs not bad.â
That evening, when the sun went down, Cesare disappeared after taking Catherine to the hotel due to an appointment.
Sheâs not sure, but seeing that it was annoying, it seemed to have something to do with what happened on the Lilith.
Does he know who Behemothâs contractor is?
Although it had no direct connection with her, Catherine could not completely withdraw her interest in the contractor. There are seven of them in the world, and among them, the only ones who can be sure of their existence are that person and Catherine.
She is not interested in other peopleâs business, but it came to mind once in a while when it was worth forgetting.
âItâs a telescope, a telescope! We sell telescopes where you can see the fireworks festival right in front of you!â
âTry the Beaton Blue cocktail with a fragrant floral scent.â
âNow, now, thereâs a fireworks display set. This is the cheapest in the area.â
The number of people filling the downtown area of Beaton Blue seemed to be much higher than the number of people who filled the deck of the Lilith.
Being stuck in a long procession without knowing where she was going, she managed to get out of the group and catch her breath.
âHaa.â
Perhaps it was because of the fireworks that took place inside the city; the closer it got to the port, the quieter it felt.
Catherine climbed to the roof of a nearby commercial building and settled down. When she rubbed the cat-shaped candy she bought on the street in the cool sea breeze, she felt a little relieved of the frustration she felt when people hit her.
âMagic genius.â
Did I?
They told her to the point that her ears stung at it that she had no talent in magic.
Rather than happy, she was stunned. She wonders if Cesare lied.
âFireworks at this place would be really worth seeing.â
Itâs been a while since she was alone like this, so she didnât feel so bad. She was initially a person who felt more comfortable when she was alone than with people.
The large full moon and bright streetlights made it possible to see all over the city. It was the same even when a large cloud covered the moon.
Catherine spent time looking at the alleyways spreading under her feet before the fireworks began.
However, at some point, the presence of âheâ was felt in the crevices of the black shadowed building. Even if she turns her head and closes her eyes, she can never ignore it, an unmistakable presence.
How to explain this feeling, Catherine could not easily define it.
The man was looking at Catherine. Even if he blurred the shape, the fact was certain.
All the energy of the world seemed to be sucked into the man. Only him was clear in the chaotic background. Even if he hid in the dark like this, Catherine seemed to be able to feel his presence.
âFor people like us. Itâs hard to believe, but we can recognize each other to some extent. My heart is pounding⊠It feels like comradeship?â
Catherine suddenly realized.
That this sense is what Giovanne said. Six senses to recognize each other.
The sixth sense, which she had never felt before, gave Catherine a refreshing blow. She could tell. The fact that that man must also feel her existence.
Then, very slowly, the clouds lifted, revealing the manâs face in the falling moonlight. The rosy eyes pointed straight at her were as clear as if they were looking right in front of her nose.
âPercyville.â
At last, the shadow of the night clouds that had obscured him lifted. If it wasnât a misunderstanding, he must have been smiling in vain.