I went over toward the buzz at the entrance — His Majesty, Origa-san, and Yumina and the others were standing there.
Origa-san wore a glittering Belfast-style party dress; in contrast, Yumina and the others wore Indian-sari-style ethnic dress. Elze in red, Linze in blue, Yae in purple, Yumina in pink — different colors, all suiting them well. Kōhaku stood at their side.
“Oh, Lord Touya. Suits you, doesn’t it. You’d pass for a Mismid noble.”
“Suppose so…”
His Majesty grinned at me. Mngh — this kind of thing is embarrassing if you’re not used to it.
I glanced sideways: Lyon-san, eyes captured by the dressed-up Origa-san. Oho. The hair ornament was glinting in Origa-san’s hair. Promising signs, no?
“Suits you, Touya-san. Wonderful.”
“Yeah, perfect, no?”
”…A different appeal from usual.”
“Splendid, indeed, Lord Touya.”
Everyone praised me. Embarrassing.
“Suits all of you too. Ah — can I take a photo?”
Pulled out the smartphone, fired up the camera. Held up, hit the shutter — flash filled the area.
We were unfazed, but the rest of the venue was startled by the flash; the Mismid soldiers along the walls put hands on their hilts. Oops — flash was a mistake.
“What was that?”
His Majesty’s eyes settled on the smartphone. Better explain quick.
“Sorry — also a Null spell of mine. Records and saves the image of a scene.”
”? Don’t quite follow…”
I showed His Majesty the just-taken image. The four were captured there.
“Oh! A spell that draws a picture in an instant. I’ve heard of someone in Reefless using a similar magic. Can it be taken out?”
Heh — the Empire too has someone with similar magic. I’d like to see that. Doesn’t look like I’ll need to over-explain photography.
“It can. If you have paper or anything to transfer to.”
His Majesty had paper brought. Looking at the photo, I transferred it onto the paper with [Drawing]. In moments, sepia-toned figures of the four girls surfaced. Like an old monochrome photograph.
“Oh! Splendid! Lord Touya, can you draw me too?”
“Sure.”
If the subject’s present, I don’t need the camera — [Drawing] from direct view works.
I drew His Majesty striking a pose. He was thrilled. But it triggered a small commotion. From there, I transferred Olba-san’s family on the wave, and me too, me too — I ended up transferring everyone in line.
A single image takes under ten seconds, so the work itself isn’t hard, but lots of people couldn’t decide on a pose with their not this, not this either, so it dragged. Treated like a Polaroid camera. Honestly tiring.
In the chaos, Lyon-san asked for a two-shot with Origa-san. Of course, I drew it. More like a purikura by now.
After the major requests, I stepped out for air. I sank into a sofa at a corner of the corridor. Quiet here, calming.
I was vacantly gazing down the corridor when, further down, something strange crossed my view.
“Eh?”
A weird sound came out of me.
A figure ambling across the far corridor. Plainly put — a bear. Sure, a country of demihumans, there are bear-beastfolk. Some at the party even. But what was walking there was a bear plushie.
About fifty centimeters tall? Looks like a plushie any way I cut it… But why is it walking? …Am I tired?
The bear stopped, turned, looked at me. Whoa — eyes met.
Staaare…
Staaaaaare…
Staaaaaaaaaare…
Staaaaaaaaaaaaare…
This kind of state has happened before. Hm?
Beckon, beckon — the bear waved me over. …Follow, you mean? What do I do…?
In the end, I followed. If it gets dangerous I’ll [Accel] away at full power.
I followed the toddling bear and arrived at a door some way from the venue. The bear, whose hand wouldn’t reach the doorknob, deftly leapt and turned it, opening the door. Inside, beckon-beckon again. Come in?
I entered the dim room — moonlight from the window. A reasonably wide room, properly furnished.
”…Oh? You brought a strange visitor, Paula.”
The sudden voice startled me; I looked around. There, before the window on a red sofa, sat a single girl.
About Yumina or Arma’s age. Twin-tail white hair, golden eyes. A black, frilly dress with black shoes, a black headdress — full gothic-lolita. Normally that would catch the eye — but I was nailed to what extended from her back.
Sparkling thin translucent wings in the moonlight. Not bird wings — butterfly wings sprouting from the back. Could she be — fae-folk?
“And? Who are you?”
“Ah — I’m Touya. Mochizuki Touya. Touya is the given name.”
“Born in Eashen?”
That, please drop. Even so, similar enough is all I can answer.
“I see — the rumored dragon-slayer who’s at the party today, then?”
“Dragon-slayer… well, yes. And you?”
“Oh, sorry, late introduction. I’m Leen — head of the fae-folk. This is Paula.”
Head of the fae-folk!? This girl!? I stood speechless; she laughed, amused.
“Despite the look, I’m much older than you. Fae-folk are long-lived.”
“Older!? How much…”
I started to think asking a woman her age is rude, but Leen didn’t mind, and pondered.
“How much… I’m definitely past six hundred.”
“SIX HUNDRED!?”
“Tedious — say I’m six hundred and twelve.”
“Say I’m” — that approach… Six hundred plus, this girl in front of me… anything goes, this world. At that age, head of the fae-folk fits.
“Fae-folk grow slow?”
”…No. Fae-folk reach a certain age and stop growing. Normally, in human terms, they stop in their late teens to early twenties. Mine just stopped early.”
She pursed her lips and grumbled. Apparently dissatisfied with not growing. Looks-wise she’s not different from Yumina, etc.
Paula consoled her by patting her head.
“By the way, Paula — is she a summoned beast?”
“No. Genuine bear plushie. She moves because of my Null spell, [Program].”
“[Program]?”
Like a computer program? Don’t tell me this bear’s a robot.
“The Null spell [Program] inputs a degree of commands into inorganic objects to make them move. For example…”
Tatata — she brought a chair from the room corner to in front of me. Leen held a hand over it, focused mana, and a magic circle formed under it.
“Program start.
/move: forward two meters
/trigger condition: when a person sits
/program end.”
The circle under the chair faded. Leen sat — and the chair began to move forward, stopping at two meters.
“Forgot to specify speed. Anyway — you can embed magic-instructions like this.”
I see. Hard to call it anything but [Program]. It only does what’s input, but it can automate objects. Could be insanely useful!?
“Could you give Paula a fly command and have her fly?”
“That’s not possible. Not that level of power. [Program] does simple movements only. But — make a bird-model’s wings move, fly it, that you could.”
I see, I see. Limits exist. Still, useful spell.
“Let me try too.”
“Eh?”
I focused mana on a chair. A circle formed; [Program] ready.
“Program start.
/move: backward at human walking speed, five meters
/trigger condition: when a person sits
/program end.”
The circle faded; I sat as a test. The chair retreated five meters, slightly faster than before. Yes — useful.
“You… what did you just do?”
Leen’s eyes blinked at me.
“What… [Program]?”
“Why is that a question… You’re a [Program] user too?”
“Uhm, ah — looks like it.”
Leen turned doubtful eyes on me.
Staaare…
Staaaaaare…
Staaaaaaaaaare…
Staaaaaaaaaaaaare…
…Same as Paula, this. Pet resembles owner — that thing? …Bit different.
She finally sighed and crossed her arms.
“Lots of questions, but for now — set them aside. …I’d programmed Paula to bring back any human who caught her interest, and you’ve brought another fun one. First catch since Charlotte, you might be.”
“Charlotte?”
I reacted instantly to the familiar name. Don’t tell me — that Charlotte-san?
“One of my disciples. Currently court mage in Belfast, last I heard.”
That Charlotte-san. Wait — that means…
“Ah! The hellish-training master who made her cast magic until she dropped, force-recovered her mana, and made her cast until she dropped again — that demon master?”
“Hah!?”
Scary, scary. Don’t glare like that please. I’m not the one who said it. Sorry. Sorry, really.
”…Whatever. Charlotte, I’ll smack later. Touya — your magic talent is splendid. Beyond Null, what elements do you use?”
“All of them.”
”…I’ll stop being surprised.”
She sighed and thought for a while, then turned slowly with golden eyes and clapped her hands once in front of herself.
“──Decided. You — become my disciple.”
“Huh?”
The twin-tailed gothic-lolita girl let her fae wings shimmer and laughed lightly.