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Chapter 100.5: Latte’s Magic Lesson
TL: kizen
PR: Filip/Gecko
The hustle to prepare for the end of the year festival has begun. The island and the village will both be holding a celebration, but since there are only a few people on the island, the celebration there will only last for two days instead of three. Preparations of both sides were underway, but I had to help butcher the pigs at the werecat old man’s place as usual. I wonder why that old man always makes me help out with that.
◇[TL: Latte’s pov next]
I was already done with the end of the year festival preparations for the day. Since Suzuran-chan and Lily-chan weren’t around, I went to the back of the ranch I worked at where few people visited. As for Caam-kun, he’s back on the island to prepare for the harvest festival there.
「Alright Miel-kun, I think it’s about time I teach you our tribe’s inherent magic. Since papa has already taught you all kinds of magic, I thought I’d already start teaching you even though it’s a bit early」
「Un, I’ll do it mama」
Un un, I’m glad my child is growing so fast. I didn’t think I would be able to experience this kind of happiness in my life so I’m grateful to Celesso-san, Caam-kun, and Suzuran-chan.
「Good. Even though we succubi are known for our techniques in bed, we also have a way of making someone feel good in their dreams while they’re asleep. However, we won’t be learning that today. Instead, I will teach you about illusions and hallucinations, magic that makes things that don’t exist seem to exist」
「Even papa and Suzuran mama haven’t seen it?」
「They haven’t, so let’s do our best so we can surprise papa when you use what we’ve practiced today」
「Un」
「And so, the image you will use is simple. Just think about the fog that usually appears in the morning after a really humid night. You gather a lot of those fog and form it into the shape you want. Can you understand my explanation?」
「Un. Papa taught me the way to move magic through a string after all」
「As expected of papa! He’s the bestー! Alright, let’s gather the white hazy fog and form it into a shape. Then, we’ll add a slightly different quality of mana unique to our tribe to show anyone who sees the fog an illusion. I’m sure you can do it with your current skill」
After saying that, I taught Miel the tricks on how to do it.
「Mama will do it first okayー?」
I imagined the fog that appears in the mornings and then formed it into the shape of a person. After adding a bit of mana to it, I made it show the form of Caam-kun to Miel. I used to see him every day, hug him every time, and I can even remember how he smells so it should be unmistakable from the real one.
「Look. It’s papa~」
It’s been a while since I’ve used this magic so thankfully I managed to do it well.
「It’s an illusion made of fog so there are limits to what it can do but there are a lot of ways to use it. You can make people lost since it can make trees in the forest and walls in the city that look like the real thing for example or make a real wall look like there’s something on the other side as well so anyone who runs into it will just hit the wall. Just keep that in mind. Okay?」
After saying that, I hugged the Caam-kun that I made with fog causing it to dissipate.
「I guess you should start with something small at first. How about making your favorite animal, a rabbit?」
Miel tried it out and after giving him some pointers, he managed to successfully make a rabbit.
「Mama! I did it!」
Miel made a rabbit jumping around using the fog.
「That’s great~. Mama didn’t think you would make this much progress in a day you know? It’s all thanks to papa, isn’t it?」
「Un!」
Miel gave an energetic reply. Seeing him like this made me realize how true happiness really feels.
◇
Several days passed after that and Caam-kun came back so he trained with the children during the day. Lily-chan was first, and as usual, Caam-kun was using any means to win and survive even if his training partner was his own child. Once it was Miel’s turn, he immediately used 【Fog Illusion】 which Caam-kun carefully observed.
The fog clumped together and formed into the shape of a tall person wearing a pointed helmet and a leather apron. In both hands, it had large sword-like nata blades. The illusion formed a muscular man that appeared inside the fog.
I thought the presentation was good but…… what is that exactly? I haven’t seen that heard nor have I heard of it. Also, looking at Caam-kun’s expression, it immediately changed into fear. The moment that the man raised his sword over his head, Caam-kun turned and ran towards the forest as fast as he could without looking back.
「Miel-kun, do you know why papa was that scared?」
「I don’t know. It was just the good person I’ve heard about from papa’s story that goes around killing bad people you know? I wonder why he ran away. He said that he only appears when you do a lot of bad things. Papa didn’t do a lot of bad things, right?」
「Uhー, I also want to ask that but……」
It looked like he was seriously running away this time. I know Caam-kun isn’t the type to be scared of fairy tales but something doesn’t add up. Perhaps it has something to do with being born in the same land as the heroes.
□
Crap crap crap. Why is that here? I don’t think Miel recognized him but he must be scared right now! Why did that come out!? That thing appeared without manifestation of guilt and desire for punishment so that may not have anything to do with the one I know of. That’s why I’ll just have to erase my scent and hide in the forest! It might just have been summoned using magic! In that case, I’m the only one in danger so I’ll just run as fast as I can!
「Hey Caam, it’s nice of you to come and butcher the pigs yourself」
Werecat old man said something but I’ll just ignore it! Ignore it! Same for the werewolf old man! I’m running away to the forest!
I made some mud to cover myself with. After that, I cut some grass, made it stick to the mud on my body, then went into the tall grass to hide. I need to be absolutely still and erase my presence.
It’s already getting dark but there are still no signs of that guy showing up. I’ll see how it goes for a bit longer. I’m starting to get hungry but I’ll survive for two weeks as long as I have water so I’ll just bear with it for now.
◇
「In the end, Caam didn’t come back. Let’s go find him. I’ll get Speck before going to the forest. Latte, go ahead」
「Got it. I’ll be going」
I immediately told Suzuran-chan and Lily-chan what happened. They said he would be back by dinner but morning’s almost here and he still hasn’t returned.
Suzuran-chan and I couldn’t sleep so we waited for Caam-kun but he didn’t return by midnight and we haven’t heard anything from him at all. That’s why I desperately ran into the forest while calling out Caam-kun’s name.
After a while, Suzuran-chan arrived together with Speck-kun, Schinken-kun, and Wurst-kun so we all searched for him together. They sneaked out of the end of the year festival preparations so they could help us.
「Caam’s scent ends here. I can smell a bit of his scent by that slightly wet soil over there but that’s where it ends」
「The footsteps go even further into the forest, don’t they? Let’s follow it」
After saying that, the two of them went into the forest while Wurst-kun yelled Caam-kun’s name.
「The grass in this area seems to be unnaturally cut. I wonder what happened」
「I don’t know. Maybe it was Caam who did it? What about the footsteps?」
「They end here. There is a lot of tall grass in this area」
Hearing that conversation, Suzuran-chan had a really worried look on her face. Seeing that, all I could do was pat her back and tell her it will be alright in a cheerful voice.
「Oーi Caam! Come out! Suzuran and Latte-san are worried about you!」
Wurst-kun kept calling out to him as he went through the tall grass.
When we got even deeper into the forest, a voice suddenly replied.
『Is that triangle helmet guy gone?』
It was Caam-kun’s voice but I didn’t know where it came from. His voice was being sent using wind magic.
「That was just a fog illusion made by Miel! It’s the succubus tribe’s inherent magic! Please come out!」
As I shouted my pleas, a part of the tall grass in front of me started to grow and a strange being covered in grass came out.
「It’s good if that thing isn’t around. Sorry for worrying you guys」
The clump of grass had the same voice as Caam-kun.
「Is that you Caam?」
「Ah, yeah. I was focused on running away and was hiding the whole time so I wouldn’t get found. If that was just illusion magic then it’s alright…… I’m really sorry for the inconvenience」
「That appearance is pretty amazing. I couldn’t find your footprints at all」
「Can’t get your scent too」
「The mud is masking my scent. And if you cover that mud with grass, you would look the same as your surroundings so it’ll be difficult to spot you at all if you hold your breath」
I didn’t think that was enough to make Caam-kun so desperate to run away. Was it really that scary?
While I was thinking that, Suzuran-chan hugged Caam-kun who was still covered in mud and said,
「I was worried」
She stayed stuck to him after saying that. I also wanted to hug him but I’ll just let Suzuran-chan savor it for today.
After a while, Suzuran-chan calmed down and after letting go of Caam-kun, she slapped me. It’s rare that she didn’t do a close-handed one.1
Then, as I apologized to Caam-kun, his friends were just in their own world.
「Iyaー this really is amazing」
「Can’t believe I lost to mud」
Once we got home, the three of us took a warm bath together. We took a break from the festival preparations that day and the three of us slept together until the evening.