Chapter 101. Pulsation (3)
After I went outside, about two hours passed. Sirocco, as usual, was sitting bare-footed on the soft portable bed.
Just then, the door opened and Elena entered.
“The measurements are finished. The results are out.”
Holding a white chart in one hand, Elena approached and sat down beside her, who was sitting on the bed.
“Hm, what. Faster than I expected?”
Sirocco swung her legs a little, sitting on the bed, then pricked her tail as if surprised.
“That's because it's only a matter of measuring physical size and health status for producing a dedicated artifact.”
“Then you know a lot about me?”
“Of course! It's not as much as places equipped with specialized medical facilities like The Order, but with the equipment here, there are basic things we can know through diagnosis.”
“Hm, really?”
Sirocco gave a slightly doubtful look.
Elena, as if to give an example, extended a finger and said.
“First, Sir Sirocco, are you entering a period of physical and magical growth?”
“Yeah, that's right.”
At Elena's words, Sirocco pricked her ears once.
“For the past few months, my tail, ears, height, everything seems to be getting a bit bigger here and there.”
Hearing that, Elena smiled slightly and said.
“I don't know if it's a characteristic of Beast-kin, but from now on, as your body slowly begins to develop and grow, your Mana sensitivity will also increase. Your Unique Magic achievements will also improve by leaps and bounds.”
“Yeah. I know that too.”
Sirocco nodded her head immediately.
She knew herself very well.
Even if she didn't fully understand everything Elena was saying right now, she vaguely understood that she herself would grow taller someday.
Sirocco became triumphant and said.
“Actually, I'm strong even without something like an artifact!”
Elena nodded.
“That's right. Certainly, I understand that Sir Sirocco's Unique Magic is overwhelming even considering that you are a Beast-kin. Sir Enoch said so too.”
“Hm. Really?”
At the sound of Enoch having said something, Sirocco's ears twitched slightly.
“However, that's where a problem lies.”
“Huh? What kind of problem?”
Elena's expression as she said that was slightly stiff. Noticing that, Sirocco subtly asked, and Elena slowly shook her head.
“Sir Sirocco. There's one thing you need to know.”
Elena said with a somewhat serious look in her eyes.
“Unique Magic is a kind of wall that Mages must overcome. Especially for Battle Mages, the difference between those who have manifested it and those who haven't is immense.”
“Uh-huh. I know that.”
“But at the same time, if Unique Magic goes wrong, it can inflict enormous damage on the manifester's own body or mind.”
Elena lowered her voice and added.
“So-called. ‘Exceeding the acceptable limit’.”
“Hmm, what exactly does that mean?”
“For example, let's see.”
Elena gathered her hands on her knees.
“Sir Sirocco, to gain enlightenment above the 10th Tier, mere innate talent is impossible. You've heard that a greater awakening is necessary, right?”
“Uh-huh. Vaguely.”
Sirocco lightly nodded her head as if she already knew to some extent. Elena looked down at the chart for a moment and said.
“Unique Magic can become an incredibly powerful force compared to those who haven't manifested it. But at the same time, it can also become poison.”
“Poison?”
“Yes. Depending on the Mage or their Unique Magic, there can be situations where they can't control their magic.”
Sirocco tilted her head as if it was a bit difficult.
“Extremely speaking. Among Unique Magic users who handle ultra-high temperature fire magic, there are even rare cases of 'rampage' phenomenon where they can't control the flames they manifest and get consumed... because of it.”
“Hmm...”
Sirocco had also heard of it.
She knew that occasionally there were cases where Mages couldn't control their magic.
But it wasn't a common occurrence.
“But there weren't any people like that in our tribe? I've never heard of it.”
“That's right. Even looking at the entire Beast-kin population, it's quite rare. But it is certainly a real case.”
Elena added.
“This is especially a side effect that comes closer the greater one's magical talent is. It's a problem that becomes more severe as the hierarchy rises at the level reached by Mages above the 10th Tier.”
In other words, being consumed because you couldn't control your Unique Magic talent. Sirocco asked back with a slightly sulky voice.
“So. You're saying I'm going to be like that?”
“No, that's not it. However, there is an artifact that can help Sir Sirocco's growth in those areas.”
“Using magic is fine even now, though?”
Elena gently shook her head.
“Artifacts and Unique Magic Gear are not just tools to amplify magic. Rather, depending on their nature, they sometimes play the opposite role.”
“The opposite, means suppressing magic?”
“More accurately, it helps you control it. To make your Unique Magic match Sir Sirocco's will more closely.”
Saying that, Elena glanced at the item drawn on the paper I had handed over.
“That's why Sir Enoch requested this.”
Drawn on the paper was something that looked like a thin choker-shaped accessory to be worn around the neck.
Sirocco looked at it for a moment, then slightly closed one eye and asked, as if reluctantly.
“So, what is that necklace-like thing?”
“Not right now, but it will be a useful item for Sir Sirocco, who will grow rapidly in the future.”
“...”
“Your magical talent is outstanding, Sir Sirocco, but you can think of it as an auxiliary device to help you acquire the knack for controlling it.”
Elena said only that and winked.
“Anyway, no matter what. You'll definitely know once the prototype is out and you wear it!”
“Hm, alright.”
Sirocco, who glanced sidelong at Elena with a saucy gaze, added softly with one eye slightly closed.
“Anyway. That guy earlier said so too, didn't he? That it would be helpful to me. Then it's fine.”
“Ohoho, you have a good relationship.”
At her simple words, Elena, who had suddenly raised her head, met Sirocco's gaze. And then she opened her mouth and spoke with an admiring tone.
“In that regard, I envy Sir Sirocco.”
“Huh? Envy?”
“Because Sir Enoch seems to think a lot about Sir Sirocco. I'm sure it means he's carefully considering and caring for your future growth as a Follower Family member.”
Elena placed her hand on her chest and said.
“Actually. I've often thought about wanting to be someone's Follower Family member.”
“Really?”
“Of course. It's a bit funny, but realistically thinking, given my position as the young lady of SIEG Industry... it would have been the other way around if anything.”
“...”
Instead of answering, Sirocco glanced at the surrounding scenery.
“Perhaps, something is bothering you?”
“No. Not that.”
The machinery and equipment filling the room, and the forest of buildings visible through the glass windows filling the walls were reflected in Sirocco's ruby-like eyes.
“...Here. Even if I don't know well, it's an incredibly good place, right?”
“I can't say it's not.”
“Even living in a place like this, is there something you envy?”
“Yes?”
Elena looked at Sirocco with a slightly puzzled expression.
“There is.”
Sirocco tilted her head to look at Elena with a saucy gaze.
“The place where our tribe lived was land where resources were drying up. Most of the Magical Beasts we hunted couldn't be eaten, and plants didn't grow well.”
Sirocco continued calmly with a detached gaze.
“The snacks I ate here earlier were delicious, and there probably aren't problems like our tribe's here. It's strange that even living in a place like this, you can envy something.”
She wasn't speaking in a pessimistic or self-deprecating tone. She was just speaking in her usual purely curious tone.
At Sirocco's unvarnished question, Elena smiled gently and lowered her eyelashes slightly.
“You might think it's a little strange, but they say people usually long for the path not taken. I'm not that different.”
“Is that so?”
Elena smiled, gently nodding her head.
“Of course! After all, having someone you can trust and rely on freely, like a Follower Family member. It must be a good thing.”
“...Uh-huh.”
As Sirocco lowered her wolf ears on top of her head slightly, lost in thought for a moment, Elena covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
“That's why I envy you. Sir Sirocco must have had sufficient reasons or a relationship of trust to become Sir Enoch's Follower Family member. That must be a precious experience, right?”
Sirocco lowered her head slightly for a moment.
Suddenly, Enoch's image flashed in her mind.
Herself, flustered by Leontos, the leader of the exiles in the fortress. And his back figure that ran forward and saved her at that time.
The boy who, in the end, went into the dangerous Black Mage's location alone, defeated him, and saved the tribespeople she cherished most.
All of that happened just recently. It still felt so vivid.
Sirocco, clenching her fists, slowly parted her lips.
“...Yeah, I guess so. I think so.”
Sirocco, who had been thinking about Enoch for a moment, realized she was unconsciously smiling slightly to herself.
It was a strange feeling.
Without Enoch, the tribe might have met a conclusion she didn't even want to imagine. That was a fact Sirocco understood well.
And beyond that. There were facts that resonated. Sirocco curled her toes a little and said.
“Right now, I don't feel bad at all.”
It was different from when she fought alone for the tribe.
Until now, she had always fought ahead of the tribe's warriors, hunting Magical Beasts alone.
Sirocco had the most outstanding skills in the tribe. And she was the only one who could deal with threatening Magical Beasts fastest.
She thought that was natural.
However, now, it wasn't a fight alone.
Having thought that far, Sirocco suddenly raised her head and smiled brightly.
“At least, it's much better than when I was alone.”
“Ohoho, is that right?”
Sirocco laughed brightly and said.
“You, you said your name was Elena, right? I like you.”
“Oh my, to hear such words from Sir Sirocco.”
Elena also smiled brightly and waved the chart.
“First prototype will take about one to two months to complete. By then, Sir Sirocco will also need the artifact.”
“Alright. I'm strong even without it, but I'll use it thankfully if you make it?”
At Sirocco's triumphant words, Elena covered her mouth once and smiled captivatingly, then said.
“Then, please take good care of me in the future?”
“Okay.”
And behind the lively greetings of the two girls.
Enoch, who had been leaning against the outer door and listening to their conversation, slowly moved away.
For some reason, he felt a little strange.
‘In the original work, Sirocco and Elena were characters who appeared in completely different storylines.’
The two who would have had no point of contact according to their original fate.
Seeing them naturally converse and build friendships in the reality before my eyes was a quite novel sensation.
And this included the fact that Enoch himself was at the center of this newly unfolding story.
Faintly, he felt his heart pulsating.
Perhaps it was because he felt a certainty that things were steadily unfolding as he wished.
‘Well, whatever the case.’
Enoch raised his head and walked down the corridor. Above his rhythmic footsteps, he calmly thought about what would happen next.
With this, the short period of regrouping was coming to an end.
Now, it was time to return to the Main House.