The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! Volume 1

by Gamei Hitsuji

“That’s right. First, you will never speak of what has happened here tonight to anyone. Second, you will never tell anyone that I am a magician. Especially not Reiji or Mizuki. Got it?”

  As Suimei pressed her for consent, Felmenia shook her head from side to side with all her might as she trembled in fear.

  “N-No, please wait! Reiji-dono and Mizuki-dono is one thing, but I have already informed His Majesty that you’re a mage. In that case, what do I...?”

  “Hmm, how unexpected. I’m surprised someone as overconfident as you would have bothered talking to someone about it. I thought you would deem someone like me to be insignificant, and being sure that you could deal with me at any time on your own, wouldn’t even set up any insurance in the event that you lost against me... Well, I don’t really mind that much. In any case, you must never speak of the details of this encounter to anyone ever.”

  Dodging the bullet of having violated his request before he’d ever even asked it, Felmenia let out a sigh of relief. Suimei then moved on to the final and most important condition.

  “And third, based on the two previous conditions, I’ll have you sign this document.”

  With a gesture like he was reaching into thin air, a single piece of paper and a pen appeared in Suimei’s left hand. The pen was the one he always used, and the paper had some sort of agreement written out on it in a foreign language. Naturally, Felmenia couldn’t understand any of it.

  “What is that?”

  “It’s nothing. Just a contract. It says that you will absolutely keep your word if you agree to these conditions. A binding agreement, if you will. You don’t mind just signing something like this, right?”

  “...Understood. I will sign it.”

  Felmenia seemed to find it just a little suspicious, but she was quick to agree to it. She hardly knew what to make of this strange document presented to her, but considering the duress she was under, she hardly had a choice about signing it.

  After writing her name, she sealed it with a thumbprint in blood. After overseeing this, Suimei shamelessly informed her of what it all meant.

  “Also, I forgot to mention this, but now that you’ve signed this, in the event that you break your promise, you’ll die.”

  “Wh-What?”

  “Hmph, you were probably planning on just spilling everything to the king after this, so this was a little insurance to keep that from happening, you know? I also don’t want things to get complicated by having you make some kinda weird report to anyone.”

  “Wait, there’s no way that you can do something like that with just—”

  “To a magician, a master of manipulating the mysteries of the universe, nothing is impossible.”

  It wasn’t like Felmenia was making light of what he said, but she stared at Suimei with a skeptical expression. He decided to demonstrate its effect in the simplest way possible. He let go of his mercury katana for the moment, then poked the signed document with his finger clad in mana. As he did, Felmenia’s chest was seized with pain.

  “Don’t be ri... Hngh... UAAAAAAAAH!”

  “It works a little something like that. It’s quite hard to endure the feeling of having your heart crushed, isn’t it?”

  Suimei pulled his finger away from the document. When he did, Felmenia was released from the pain that was crushing her heart, and began gasping for air as she voiced a complaint without any strength behind it.

  “Ack, aha... You didn’t say anything about this...”

  “Whether or not I said anything, we have an agreement now. And I said you’d never speak of this, right? That’s all there is to it. It’s not all that complicated, really. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut. About what happened today, and about how I’m a magician. As long as you pretend to forget all that, no harm will come to you. Isn’t that far more fair a deal than being sold or going to pick a fight with the Demon Lord?”

  Suimei turned around as he spoke, and asked his last question over his shoulder. But no answer came. Finding that to be quite puzzling, he took a careful look at Felmenia, who was hanging her head.

  “Hngh... Hic, hic... You’re... so mean... Waaah... Uwaaaaaaaah...”

  It seemed every last bit of pride she had was gone. All Suimei could hear now was Felmenia’s sobbing.

  Hrm... Did I kinda overdo it a little here?

  It seemed he’d done an exquisite job of breaking her. Used to facing off against magicians in his own world, he couldn’t imagine taking anything other than a severe, hardline attitude against anyone who would come after him like she had... but he couldn’t hide his bewilderment now.

  It wasn’t just about magicka. There seemed to be an impassable gap between his world and this one when it came to maturity. Having realized that, could he really continue to back her into a corner? He momentarily considered it, but then relented. Suimei wasn’t a cruel person, after all, and he was actually starting to panic a little.

  “W-Well, that’s how it is, so keep your promise, alright? It’d also be bad for my heart if I needlessly killed someone.”

  He spoke with a far more casual tone than before. Sympathy had taken hold of him. He never thought she would cry like this. And since she continued to do nothing but sob, Suimei couldn’t even tell if she was listening to him. He scratched his head in a fluster, and then deviated from his plans.

  “Renovato, atque restituito... There.”

  [Restore, and then reconstruct.]

  At the very least, he thought he could fix up her clothes, so he cast his restoration magicka for her. As the magicka circle rose up from the ground below the despondent Felmenia, her robe was flawlessly restored. By the time the circle reached the top of her head, there was not a single hole, frayed thread, burn mark, or speck of dirt to be seen on it.

  And then, with nothing else to do, Suimei left Felmenia alone and exited the garden. In the end, he settled everything by letting her go. Leaving the consequences for later, Suimei quickened his pace as he walked away.

  A fight between magicians wasn’t the same as a death match. Really, it was quite rare for a magician to take the life of another magician. Certainly, mercy was never shown to those who arbitrarily intruded in the workshops of others, but aside from those cases, magicians inherently carried a mutual amount of respect for each other. They were brothers and sisters in their pursuits.

  Nowadays, magicka had fallen by the wayside thanks to science, and its development had come to a halt because of its decline. With things as they were, the life of each and every person who aspired to further magicka was important. So to ensure that the art known as magicka was never fully wiped from the face of the earth, there was an implicit understanding that magicians were not to needlessly kill other magicians, even if they used different styles. To that end, the contract Suimei had just used was employed quite frequently instead.

  In exchange for not killing someone, a magician could use the contract to ensure that no further harm could be inflicted upon them. And with a power like that, there was no real need to kill anyone in the first place. It kept magicians from killing themselves off, and helped maintain the ratio of those studying mysteries in the modern era.

  There were exceptions, of course, but it was worth bearing in mind that a duel between magicians was more of a competition than a fight. It was a chance to show off how well they understood the mysteries. In other words, it was a contest of the precision of their magicka, the strength and the complexity of their spells, their knowledge of theory, and any special characteristics they could use. In a way, it was a chance to study and learn from each other, mutually furthering the goals of their craft.

  Thinking about it like that, what about the fight just now? There was no magicka that made him unintentionally ooh and aah in admiration. There was nothing for him to linger on after his victory. No, only one thought came to mind on the subject.

  “They’re really too far behind, huh?”

  He’d said something similar to Felmenia earlier, but it was really both
ering him now. From here on, after all, he had to live in this world. He was worried whether or not there were any mysteries here that would make his heart dance. With nothing to stimulate and inspire him, he—or any magician, for that matter—would become a fossil. To Suimei, who was pursuing his thesis, this was a huge setback. In any case...

  No intention to kill, right...

  The next thing he remembered was what Felmenia said earlier. How could she say something like that after setting up that violent golem? But even so, she hadn’t appeared to be lying when she said it.

  “I guess I’ll look into it a bit.”

  Felmenia had also said something about Suimei planning on harming the king. Thinking back on it, it didn’t seem like an excuse. If he assumed that she was under some kind of misunderstanding, there was probably more to what was going on. Realizing that the curtain had yet to actually fall, Suimei grumbled to himself.

  Felmenia was left completely defeated. Things had gone slightly out of order, but his original objective had been accomplished, and that reduced the potential risks for him. That being the case, it seemed like as good a time as any to make a move. And so Suimei quietly flipped open his black coat, and melted away into the matching darkness.

  ★

  A few days after the incident in the Garden of the White Wall, King Almadious Root Astel called Felmenia Stingray to the audience chamber. The reason for this summons was naturally to receive an update on the status of Reiji’s magic lessons straight from his instructor’s mouth.

  He’d made inquiries from others, but their reports only ever said things like “a bundle of talent,” “a magic genius,” and “the greatest in the world.” Nothing but abstract praise. The important parts were all glossed over, and in short, all the king really knew about Reiji’s magical ability was that he was talented. Since the king had the responsibility of sending him off, he wanted to know more in-depth details.

  So he’d called on Felmenia to report as his instructor. Her pure white robe quietly fluttered behind her as she knelt down before the king, and attentively reported on both Reiji and Mizuki’s progress. According to her, Reiji’s talent for magic was indeed extraordinary. His capacity for mana was over ten times that of the castle’s court mages, and while he still had some small shortcomings when it came to minute control of spells and mana, he was exceptionally quick on the uptake when it came to understanding magic.

  In regards to Mizuki Anou, though she wasn’t on Reiji’s level, she also held a fair amount of power. Her ability to understand and conceptualize magic seemed to have no limits, and she often left her peers wondering just how she was able to arrive at such notions. It was to the point where it was regrettable that she hadn’t also received divine protection from the hero summoning.

  “That is all, Your Majesty. The speed at which Reiji-dono and Mizuki-dono are learning magic is incredible. Someday, I am sure they will be comparable to the great mages from around the world.”

  Injecting one last compliment, Felmenia brought her report to an end. The king then added on one more question as a light joke.

  “Does it seem they will surpass even you?”

  “With Reiji-dono’s power, perhaps.”

  “I see. That is reassuring. If Reiji-dono has that much talent with magic, then my concerns are likely just needless worry.”

  “I certainly hope so, Your Majesty. I was also surprised. They’ve only been introduced to magic for some two weeks now, and to already be a match for intermediate level mages just goes to show that Reiji-dono was not chosen to be a hero for nothing. If you will allow me to say this as a single mage, my envy is irrepressible.”

  Felmenia said that last part quietly. With her head bowed, the king couldn’t see her expression clearly, but if she was jealous enough to admit it to him, he had no doubt that it was showing on her face. But there was no helping it. From what he had heard, Reiji was acquiring magical knowledge from her at a rate that could no longer be described by just the word “exceptional.”

  “I am certain it is. However, if he did not have at least that much power...”

  “It is just as Your Majesty says; he would not be able to defeat the Demon Lord.”

  “Indeed.”

  The king nodded back as their opinions lined up. Having heard everything he wanted to about the hero, he hung his hopes on Felmenia’s efforts and hard work to continue training him.

  “Court Mage Felmenia Stingray, your report has been received. There are still three days until Reiji-dono’s departure, so make full use of that time.”

  “All is as you will, Your Majesty. Then, I will excuse myself here...”

  After respectfully accepting the king’s order, Felmenia bowed down and then turned to leave. However, the king had not dismissed her yet. He still had business with her, and he stopped her from going.

  “Felmenia, I have something else that I would like to hear from you.”

  “Huh? O-Of course, Your Majesty.”

  “That young man... It’s about Reiji-dono’s good friend Suimei-dono.”

  The king wanted to talk about Suimei Yakagi. Ever since Felmenia’s previous report on him, the king had been worrying about Suimei almost as much as he had been about the hero Reiji. He was mostly concerned about the potential clash between Suimei and Felmenia, and he wanted to know if anything had come of it in the several days it had been since they’d talked on the matter.

  “S-Suimei-dono, Your Majesty...?”

  Felmenia felt blindsided, and the dumbfounded look plastered on her face said it all. Her voice slightly cracked, but even so, the king pressed her on the matter.

  “Indeed. After we last spoke, what kind of movements has that young man made? You have continued your surveillance, have you not?”

  “R-Regarding that... Um...”

  “Felmenia?”

  She was avoiding his gaze for some reason, and hesitated to speak as if it were something difficult to talk about. In utter contrast to her report about the hero, it was like she had completely lost her composure.

  It seemed that she had done something, otherwise she would be speaking loudly and with dignity as normal. Despite being quite young, no matter the situation and no matter the opponent, she never lost her composure. That was all out the window right now.

  “Ah, uh...”

  “What is the matter? Could it be that something happened?”

  “No, sire, that’s, um...”

  Even when he asked a second time, Felmenia could only answer evasively. When the king looked closely, he could see that she was sweating slightly. He then asked her a third time, this time in a strict tone.

  “Answer me, Felmenia. If you do not speak, we will be unable to progress, will we not? Tell me everything that has happened and everything you have witnessed. Conceal nothing.”

  However, Felmenia would still not answer. Instead, she bowed down so deeply that she appeared to be rubbing her forehead on the floor.

  “Y-Your Majesty! Please, I beg of you! In regards to this matter, please allow me silence!”

  “Are you saying you cannot speak of it?”

  “Yes, sire. Though it is foolish of me, it is just as you say.”

  “Why?”

  “The answer Your Majesty seeks is an undesirable state of affairs brought on by my lack of virtue. I cannot speak of it...”

  “Hmm...”

  Seeing her continue to behave so unlike herself, the king unintentionally groaned. Prostrating herself, she refused to speak of the matter. She was being unusually obstinate.

  The question was why she was going to such great lengths to conceal what had happened, but the answer was obvious enough. After being told not to do something, she’d naturally be reluctant to admit it if she’d defied that order. Even if she tried to skirt the issue, one wrong word might reveal her, and then she would be punished accordingly for defying the king.

  Then was this silence some form of self-defense against that punishment? If that was the case, she
’d already given herself away.

  “...I told you that you mustn’t act, did I not, Felmenia? And it seems you’ve done something to Suimei-dono after all. Am I wrong?”

  As the king raised his voice, Felmenia’s shoulders trembled like a small animal that had been discovered by a predator. Seeing her like that, it appeared she truly feared being found out and reprimanded. The fact that she was unable to expect such a thing despite her wisdom was both unexpected and disappointing, but no matter how much she trembled, responsibility was responsibility.

  But before all else, he actually needed to know what was going on, and that would mean getting the details out of her.

  “Speak. Before I pass down your punishment, I must hear what you have to say. Until then, nothing can begin.”

  “P-Please, Your Majesty. I beg of you... I beg for your mercy.”

  “There is no need to be so obstinate. I already expected you to disobey my orders. Resign yourself and hold nothing back.”

  “Y-Your Majesty...”

  “I have had enough of this, Felme...?”

  When he looked closely, the king saw that this dignified young woman had tears coming from the corners of her eyes. Just how long had it been since he last saw her cry? It must have been when she was still a small child, the night she’d visited the castle for the first time for an evening party and had gotten separated from her parents, the countess and Earl Stingray. This was most perplexing.

  “Why will you not speak?”

  “...”

  Felmenia would not answer. All she would do was bow her head down. King Almadious took a long, silent moment to think to himself. Just why wouldn’t she speak? Why was she being so obstinate over this? The answer to those questions didn’t come to him, but he eventually thought of a plan and changed his line of questioning.

  “Felmenia. From here, I shall ask you questions.”

  “But Your Majesty...”

  “Listen to me, Felmenia. If the answer to my question is correct, then remain silent as you are now in response. If it is incorrect, then just shake your head. Understood?”

  The king made himself quite clear, and Felmenia kept silent without objecting. He then proceeded to pose the questions that had come to him, one at a time.