58. Ink

This one’s a nice cooldown compared to last chapter, but it was still fun nonetheless. Sorry for the one day delay, and here we go!

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TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

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『I’ve been thinking about that for a while now. okay?』

「About what?」

Elena asked me a question through the white bear.
It was just when Elena finished talking about Leo and the Ojou’s situation at Leo’s birthday party. I was getting bored of hearing her talk on and on about how cool her older brother was and how beautiful she was.
I was suddenly asked if it was good or bad, and I answered. Then, even though Elena said that she had brought up the topic herself, she seemed reluctant to speak and spoke like it was difficult.

『Look… onee-sama is engaged to Roy-nii-sama, right?』

「That’s right.」

『Heeeeey, why are you like that!?』

「Ha??」

Why does she have to be so angry just because I nodded along at that fact? Elena is usually hard to understand, but tonight she is especially mysterious. She doesn’t seem to be satisfied with my reaction, but she doesn’t say why.
Come to think of it, a little while ago, Ojou was acting strange too. For a while, she would come to visit, but she would talk while using Chairwoman and Pochi as shields.
Chairwoman was acting as a shield and had a complicated expression on her face, and Pome was able to move around freely, so she had to be chased down halfway through. Pochi was the only one who seemed to be full of energy, burning with a sense of duty.
I wonder what that was all about. Maybe that kind of play was popular. Flora seemed to be having fun being the middleman for the message, so that might be the case.

『Isn’t…… isn’t this going to make you feel awkward!?』

It seems that Elna didn’t mention the topic of the engagement for a long time, probably because of what she thought would happen if she pointed it out. However, she seems to have become vague. But what about it?

「What did you want to say earlier?」

I don’t understand even if she says it in a roundabout way. When I told her to speak directly, Elena grumbled and struggled before talking.

『Isn’t onee-sama important to Isaac?』

「What, why are you saying something so obvious?」

There isn’t a servant of Duke Ernst’s family who doesn’t care about Ojou. I immediately answer, and Elna gets angry and says that’s not it.

『That’s why she looks especially cuter than the others……』

「Ojou is a beautiful girl, so she’s also cute, right?」

『That’s true, but what if there was another beautiful girl on onee-sama’s level!?』

「If it’s a beautiful girl, then you’re one too, but you’re too dazzling.」

『I’ll reject Isaac right here!』

「I mean, are there really any other girls are cute as you?」

『There’s no one who can rival onee-sama’s beauty!』

Elena boasted that Ojou was perfect inside and out, then she groaned in frustration.

『Kuh…… onee-sama is such a beautiful girl……!!』

What does this girl want?
I hardly see her and only hear her voice over the bear-phone, which makes me wonder if Elena is growing up. As always, she puts her brother first and adores Ojou. This girl, she’s the princess of this country.
In the end, Elena came to the conclusion that I was an idiot, and she continued to call me an idiot for the rest of the night.

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The next day, I showed up at the Merkel church orphanage because it was my day off.
It’s the off-season, and Anika-sama has gone to Daniel-sama’s territory, so even if I step into the entrance, the dog, Julian, won’t come charging at me. It’s hot for Julian, who has a lot of hair in the summer season, but I also feel lonely not being able to be greeted by those kind eyes.
Since I am only helping Anika-sama teach them how to read and write, I only check on the progress of the tasks that the children at the orphanage were given while Anika-sama was away. It’s summer vacation homework, so to speak.
Anika-sama gave individual assignments, such as for younger children to write a few letters of the alphabet, and for older children to read books tailored to their reading level. When I look closely at each individual, I admire them.

「Zack, how do you read this?」

「Ah, this is……」

When I explained the meaning to a child who was worried about the words he couldn’t read, he nodded, saying he understood, and continued reading. Another child starts reading with a rough idea of the meaning, and then checks the meaning later. I learned that even just the way you read a book can reveal your personality.
The church priest told me that donations from nobles are increasing to other church orphanages as well.
Although it seems like they don’t come to teach directly like Anika-sama, the number of people who donate practical items such as blackboards, chalk, and books has increased. When I was invited to a tea party, Oku-sama said that donating to charity was becoming popular, especially among his wife. Annika-sama’s activities must have moved other people as well. [T/N: It’s been a while since “Oku-sama” was used so as a reminder this is Ojou’s mother.]
The priest says he would be grateful if it were continued in the future rather than just a temporary thing. I also hope that other people besides Anika-sama will continue to give.

「By the way, I would like to have some measurements taken, but when is the priest available?」

I thought it would happen as soon as I turned 13, but May was the change of seasons, and while I was replanting flower beds and pulling weeds in preparation for summer, it was already summer.
When I told him that I wanted to measure magical power, the priest took out his pocket watch and checked the time. The pocket watch is provided to the administrator of the church and serves as proof of that. In the downtown area, I asked the priest who manages the church to measure my magical power.
After checking the time, the priest smiled.

「There’s some time right now, so would you like to take it now?」

「Yes, please.」

When I nodded, the priest led me to the prayer room of the church. In the prayer room, a statue of the founder, the first king of Abendroth, stood at a height that could overlook the room. The Merkel Church is a small church in a downtown area, so there is only a row of wooden banquettes and a podium at the same height. In large churches, there may be a platform large enough for the choir to line up.
When I arrived at the podium directly under the founder’s statue, the priest told me to wait and went to the door in the corner to get something. A moment later, he was carrying seven rolled up parchment rolls in one arm, and a few trinkets in the other.
The priest places what he brought on the podium. The other items were a small bottle of ink, a quill, and a small box.

「What is your aptitude, Isaac?」

「Water.」

「Then, this is it.」

After he asked about my aptitude attributes, the priest unfolded one of the pieces of parchment.
The parchment, which I thought was blank, had a magic circle about five centimeters in diameter drawn in the center of the bottom. Apparently, this magic circle is different depending on the aptitude attribute. The seven pieces of parchment used for measurement meant that I brought one each for fire, water, wind, earth, thunder, darkness, and light. Even though it’s rare for someone to have the light attribute, the priest is very polite in bringing all the attributes.

「Could you please write your name here?」

「Yes.」

I write my full name at the bottom of the parchment given to the priest. It feels like a test from my previous life. Maybe I feel that way because the parchment is about the same size as a test answer sheet.
Most commoners are not used to writing. However, since you’re telling me to write it myself, I’m sure this is also necessary for measuring magical power. Come to think of it, I think my neighbor’s older brother, who took care of me when I was little, was bragging about being able to write his own name when he was about my age now. At the time, it was difficult for me to read, so I just thought it was amazing. I realize now that I learned how to write my name during the measurement.
I wrote carefully, being careful not to smear the ink, and the priest complimented me on my beautiful handwriting as usual. I feel a little proud and shy. Ever since Anika-sama told me that there is nothing to be ashamed of even if my handwriting is beautiful, I am honestly happy to receive compliments on my handwriting.
I know how to use ink and pen. Wondering what the last small box is for, I turn my gaze towards it. The metal box is about the same size as a matchbox from my previous life, and it looks like the type that you open the lid to reveal the contents, like a game software case.
When the priest opened the box and took out the contents, what I found in his hand was a needle. The opposite side of the needle has a metal decoration instead of a through hole, making it look like a pin.

「Prick your index finger, and when a little blood comes out, place your finger on this magic circle.」

「I understand.」

Following the priest’s instructions, I nodded and accepted the needle he handed me.
When I prick the pad of my index finger with a needle, blood oozes out. I placed my fingertips on the parchment where the magic circle was.
Then, the ink on the magic circle bleeds and it begins to grow, like a rapidly growing tree.

「Please don’t let go until it stops.」

As if he could sense my surprise, he warned me not to let go of the magic circle until the ink tree stopped growing. As I was told, I kept my finger still and followed the movement of the ink tree with my eyes. The ink tree that grows from the magic circle grows freely within the parchment, unlike ink that bleeds normally. It was kind of interesting to watch that.
After a while, the ink tree finished growing, and the silhouette of the tree that we often see on the streets was completed. About halfway down the long side of the parchment. Does that mean this is the amount of magical power I have?

「It’s okay to take your finger off now.」

When I removed my finger from the parchment, the priest took out a small container of ointment from his clothes pocket and applied it to my index finger. Does the priest not only have a pocket watch, but also ointment? The children at the orphanage are healthy, so scratches are probably common.
The priest lifted the parchment and looked at the ink tree, then rolled it up and re-tied the string that held it in place. Then, he looks at me and gives me a smile that makes me feel compassion.

「Finally, could you show me what kind of magic you can use?」

He adds that it’s fine, if it’s possible.
Although commoners have magical powers, they have extremely few opportunities to use magic. Expensive magic books are only owned by wealthy merchant families, so most people learn by watching people who can use beginner magic. Basically, magic with a small amount of magical power that quickly dries up is useless to commoners, and there are only people who are interested in it or learn it to kill time.
Therefore, even if common people have magical powers, there is a good chance that they do not remember how to use magic. The priest supplements his explanation with this reason.

「Um……」

I think about the magic that can be shown here. They might change the location if I tell them, but my aptitude is water, so it’s not dangerous like fire or lightning.
For now, I’ll try to use my magic to produce as much water as I can and float it in the air. A mass of water the size of a bowl floats a little higher than my head.

「With my amount of magical power, I can only produce this much. Other than that, I can only manipulate a certain amount of water……」

As I say this, I turn the lumps of water into a mist and move them along with the moisture in the air as I rotate my fingers. Then a small cloud formed, and when I twisted my finger again, a hole appeared in the middle and it became donut-shaped. I learned that water can be manipulated by changing the shape of clouds.
I thought the water magic was enough, so I broke it once and gathered the wind magic into the palm of my hand.

「My wind birds can only grow to this size, so they can’t carry things.」

I smile bitterly at the unreliability of a bird the size of a sparrow. Wind magic that can’t even turn into a carrier pigeon to deliver a letter is lackluster. I can only use it as a signal to my perceptive mother and Leo.

「Even if I put up a dark membrane, it can only weaken my presence.」

There’s no need to send the wind bird flying this time, so I quickly undo it and switch to dark magic. It’s my first time using it in front of people, but I wonder if this dark membrane will be effective in a state where it’s already known.

「The fire only lights up for a few seconds, and even if you try, the light just gives off a warm glow.」

When I released the dark membrane and concentrated my magical power on my fingertips, a flame like a candle lit for a few seconds, then disappeared. Maybe it’s because the attribute are the exact opposite of my aptitude’s attribute, but this alone is quite difficult. In this case, it would be much more efficient to use flint.
Since it’s so rare, I don’t know what kind of magic that light attribute magic is, so I tried to make it glow as the name suggests, but all I could do was make it glow faintly like a firefly. It’s fair to say that it’s a gentle light because it’s a little warm, but there’s really no use for it.
After showing him this far, I realize that the rest of my attributes are not suitable for showing off.
Lightning is just a momentary burst of static electricity, so I don’t want to deal with it. Even though I knew it was coming, I kept preparing. It’s not impossible to read the soil’s geology, but all it can tell is whether it’s acidic or alkaline, and its aptitude attributes are far less accurate than my father.
In any case, the magic that can be used is too poor to prove anything. I have the impression that a church is a place where you can’t tell a lie, so if you can’t show it, maybe it’s okay to just explain.

「…Reverend?」

When I looked at the priest, wondering what to do, the smile from earlier had disappeared and his mouth was half open. I tilted my head at the expression on the priest’s face for the first time.

「……um, how about chanting the spell?」

「Eh? I’m getting assistance from the spirits, so I’m okay without it.」

「Have you tried using other attributes……?」

「Yes. I suppose less than how much I’ve used my main aptitude.」

When I answered the priest’s question quietly, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. Then, he looked straight at me.

「Isaac-kun’s amount of magical power is normal, but it is unusual for him to be able to use it beyond his aptitude, so it may take some time until we get the results.」

When I saw the priest forcing a smile, saying that it was his duty to report to the Ministry of Magic, including the confirmation of available magic, I remembered that it was rare for me to use something other than my aptitude. I don’t think I’ve been this surprised since the first tea party with Oku-sama.
However, the priest was kind and explained the reason properly without misleading me.

「I understand.」

So, I nodded. Not only Ojou, but also Leo and Bell already know the chantless activation of magic that does not cost any magical energy, as well as the use of magic other than those of your suited attributes. As for Bell, he happily reports the results of his magic tests every time he brings flowers for Ojou. The magic that I, a commoner, can use is mostly shabby magic, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.
I decided to wait patiently for the measurement results.

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The off-season is over, so Ojou and the others have returned from the duchy, and autumn has begun.
The flowers that Leo gives to Ojou are mainly autumn roses is the feeling I get whenever I see Bell holding them. Ever since we talked about the color of flames, Bell has mostly been responsible for delivering flowers on Leo’s behalf.
After that, Remias came twice. Once in early spring and once last week. When the color of the fire that could be emitted changed to yellow and then white, he came to report with a look on his face. In the spring, Ojou scolded him for burning the flowers he was supposed to give them because he used fire magic before handing them over.
Regardless of the fact that he was scolded, Remias seems to be putting in enough effort to make the fire so hot that it changes color once every six months. Bell, who doesn’t often praise Remias, was impressed, saying that he was good at controlling magic, which is something he’s not good at, so it must be quite impressive. At this rate, I might see another surprise in six months when the color changes.

「Is Isaac not good with the fire attribute?」

「Ah. It’s tiring, so I don’t want to use it too much.」

Bell is deep in thought, mumbling as I confirm this, so he nods. It seems that Bell has recently been experimenting with how much magic he can use other than his own aptitude.

「I don’t enjoy the fire attribute either……maybe it’s because I have a strong impression that Remias used it like an idiot.」

「Maybe.」

Even though Bell is interested in magic in general, there may be areas in which he is weak. I think that, but Bell seems to be disappointed and makes a difficult expression as he tries to find the cause.
It was funny to see him show that he really liked magic, and I laughed while agreeing with him.
That’s when I suddenly felt someone watching me, so I looked next to me and saw Ojou sitting on a bench attached to the inner wall of the arbor, staring at me with dissatisfaction.

「……you seem to be having fun.」

「Are you bored?」

「Not bored…… it’s because you’re talking about something only the two of you understand……」

I asked if the topic with Bell was boring for Ojou, but it seems like she isn’t interested in magic-related topics. I agree with the reason why Ojou is annoyed. It seems that the with her thunder-attribute she felt left out because we were talking about sensations that could only be shared by people with the same aptitude.

「I feel bad for leaving out my friends.」

When I apologized and patted her pale blonde hair, Ojou’s cheeks turned red and she blushed even more.

「Even if you try evading like that…… you’re treating you like a child……!」

「Ehhh.」

I was just trying to apologize, but she got angry. Ojou is already ten years old, and I wonder if she doesn’t like having her head patted because it feels like she’s being treated like a child. It’s difficult for girls who are starting to reach her age.
As I think about how to apologize, I remember what I had in the pocket of my winter jacket. I take it out and give it to Ojou.

「I’m sorry.」

「This is… a rose?」

Ojou’s pale blue eyes widened as she saw what looked like a large yellow rose.

「I made it with gingko leaves. It doesn’t last long, so I wasn’t sure whether or not to give it to you.」

「Isaac is good with his hands.」

「I thought the petals of gingko tree would look like petals of a flower, so I tried it.」

I reveal the reason why I made it to Bell, who mutters in admiration.
As I was sweeping away the fallen leaves, yellow leaves came flying down from above, resembling falling cherry blossoms. So, I collected the beautiful leaves and arranged them like flowers, but since they were fallen leaves, they would wither and fade after a while.
I wondered if I should give something that would perish as a gift, so I kept it in my pocket.
Although she received it, Ojou did not respond. It would have been better if I hadn’t given it to her after all,I thought, regretting it, but when I looked into her face, she froze, staring at the ginkgo rose. I wonder if she’s angry or disappointed.

「……why did you give this to me?」

When asked why I gave it to her, I answered honestly.

「Because I like yellow roses.」

Many autumn rose varieties have calm, dark colors. Therefore, the autumn roses that Leo gave to Ojou were also red. I like yellow varieties of roses, including their scent, so I wanted to see yellow roses. Maybe that’s why the falling ginkgo tree felt like a flower petal. As expected, I couldn’t recreate the scent, but I think it turned out nice and rose-like.
Roses don’t suit me, so when I finished it, I thought of Ojou. I thought it would look good on her.
Ojou’s eyes widened at my answer, and then she smiled in an amused way.

「I see, something that Zack likes was given to me……」

I couldn’t quite pick up Ojou’s murmurs, but she seemed to be pleased. I stroke my chest with relief.

「I will treasure it.」

Just as she said that, I was perplexed by the Ojou’s careful handling of the ginkgo rose.

「Eh, but……」

「Even flowers will disappear eventually. They say it’s because the leaves will wither.」

I was surprised to see Ojou declare that there is no reason not to cherish it. It was something I made on a whim, but I’m really happy that Ojou is taking good care of it.

「Ojou, you’re cool.」

Contrary to my grin, Ojou frowns.

「Why has it come to that……?」

I can’t understand it, what was written on Ojou’s expression. Come to think of it, she didn’t like being told she was cool. But I don’t know of any greater compliment than this.
I doubt whether I was able to make up for hurting the Ojou’s mood, but my apology was accepted. However, the misunderstanding that I treated her like a child remains unresolved. Thinking about what to do, I remember the promise I made in the past.

「Ojou, should I give you a rainbow as a birthday present this year?」

「That’s fine, but…… what is going on, to ask so suddenly?」

Ojou, who was suddenly asked about the gift, looked suspicious, but agreed.

「I promised to show you a rainbow at night.」

Does she remember that I promised to show her when she grew up? It was a few years ago, so maybe she doesn’t remember. I said it because I thought it was good proof that I wasn’t treating her like a child, but I didn’t consider the possibility that she forgot, and then I realized it.
That was an unfounded fear. Her pale blue eyes widen, and I see her sparkle with anticipation.

「Oh……」

「What is the principle behind a rainbow at night when there are few sources of light?」

Before Ojou could say anything, Bell asked with a curious look. You can tell how interested he is by the sparkle in his eyes. He looks like he’s going to say he wants to be there too.

「Can I also……」

「You are not allowed.」

「Nope.」

As I thought, both Ojou and I rejected Bell’s request to be present at about the same time. Unlike me, who he expected, Ojou seemed to be more reflexive than me, and seemed surprised that she turned him down.

「It wouldn’t be good if Bell stayed at the house of Leo’s fiance late at night.」

「Ah…… that’s right.」

Bell remembered that he was here now because of Leo’s excuse, and he apologized, saying that he had been thoughtless. He has a habit of not paying attention to his surroundings when he gets passionate. When he comes to his senses, he just smiles bitterly, and his red hair, which is usually bouncing around so cheerfully, looks wilted. He’s not a bad person, really.

「It’s not for the same reason……」

At that time, I was responding to Bell who was begging me to at least teach him the principles, and so I didn’t notice Ojou’s murmurings.

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Oh man, Ojou is way too conscious of Zack now. And I see that we’re definitely setting up for Zack to go to the Academy.

I’ve honestly not read the manga since I’m trying to keep myself as spoiler free so I can enjoy translating it too, hahaha, so no spoilers. 3 chapters to the finale, and then 10 in the final volume. We’re almost there.

Anyways, let me know if there’s any corrections I need to make. Sorry for uploading a day later than usual, but uh, it’s spring now and there is SO much lawn work to do.

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