Gathered Around the Campfire

* * *

Yahoooo!

Good evening from under the glittering, star-filled sky, its the beautiful girl Emi-chan who doesnt lose to the twinkling of the stars.

Right now, Im in the Zamago Forest at the foot of the Nanga Mountains on the western edge of the unexplored Ranrarananga Mountain Range, gathered around a campfire with an old man who has the worst face, Giovanno!

Hey, Emididnt you just think something rude

Your imagination.

Oops, that was close.

I guess what I was thinking showed on my face?

<As far as I know, your expression has never changed, Emi. This man is also, at least ostensibly, a unique ability user. He probably has aspects that make it easier for him to sense things compared to ordinary people.>

Eh, whats that?

Unique ability users have that kind of trait?

<Its more like there are relatively many such people. They can intuitively manipulate magic power, after all. In your case, emotions tend to be carried by your magic power instead of your expression, so he might be sensing that.>

Hmm, this evil-looking old man cant be underestimated.

Come to think of it, wasnt this person originally a noble?

I have the impression that skills like sensing the other partys true intentions and emotions are important in noble society, so maybe he naturally learned those skills while living as a noble.

<And in the midst of such a life, his heart was worn down and his face became more and more villainous>

How awful!

To think this old mans emotion-sensing ability and villainous face had a trade-off relationship!

Heyhey! Emi! I knew it, youre making fun of me in your mind, arent you!

Your imagination.

Tsk.

Hes seriously sharp, this old man.

And lately, he seems to be getting sharper and sharper.

<His senses are probably being honed through the prolonged life in the unexplored region.>

Thats right.

Its already been about a month since I cleared a corner of the Zamago Forest and started living with this old man.

This past montha lot has happened.

Like the old man almost getting eaten by a crocodile-like creature when we found a watering hole near the base (that crocodile-like creature has already been eradicated. The watering hole is ours now).

Or finding out that the purple fruit I liked and ate a lot was actually the fruit of a deadly poisonous plant called donei.

Making a bed for the old man.

Making a stage (according to the old man, a sacrificial altar) for when using the old man as a decoy.

The old man discovering a delicious herb (similar to purslane but with palm-sized, fleshy leaves) and starting to cultivate it at the base.

Well, this and that happened.

By the way, the delicious herb the old man found is tasty when grilled, so we call it aburi-na. I dont know its official name.

Seriously, I thought the old man who discovered how delicious this is when grilled was a genius.

Even now, the old man grilling aburi-na by the campfire in front of me may look like a shabby, washed-up, evil-faced old man at first glance, but hes seriously a genius old man.

HeyEmi, which way is that vibe going? Are you praising me or dissing me?

That time, I was also praising you.

So that means until now you were dissing me!?

Dunno.

Its your own thoughts! What do you mean you dont know!

A beautiful girls heart is always a mystery.

Dont call yourself a beautiful girl!

And well, like this.

I, who I thought was relatively quiet, have gotten close enough to the old man to engage in this level of banter.

<Now then, lets end the chit-chat time here and resume observation. Please focus, Emi.>

Thats true.

I stare at the old man again with concentration.

Its not like I enjoy gazing at a filthy old man.

What I want to see is the third arm made of magic power extending from around the old mans right shoulderInvisible Hand.

Right now, Invisible Hand is grasping puckervine and making it float in the air.

This puckervine is just sour when eaten alone, but its seriously delicious when eaten together with grilled aburi-na.

The fact that this old man discovered that at a relatively early stage proves hes a genuine genius

<Youre starting to think unnecessary things again, Emi.>

Oops, my bad, my bad.

Now then, its been a month.

A whole month, you know.

Ive been living with this old man for a whole month.

In other words, I still havent managed to master Invisible Hand.

While observing the old mans Invisible Hand, I extend a thread of magic power from the tip of my right index finger.

The thread stretches out straight and smooth.

I extend the thread up and up, and when it reaches in front of my face, I wiggle the tip left and right.

Like a lost caterpillar.

My magic power thread moves and extends freely as I will it to.

However, unlike Invisible Hand, this thread is Mana Sensing Thread that can hardly exert any physical interference.

If theres any impact, it immediately snaps and breaks.

Become sturdier, become sturdier, become sturdier

While willing that, I try to wrap the thread around a twig lying nearby and lift it, butits no good after all.

The Mana Sensing Thread couldnt withstand the weight of the twig, snapped, and vanished.

Its difficult

What should I do?

I have no idea at all.

I casually stand up and trot over to the old man.

What is it?

And I pat the Invisible Hand extending from the old mans right shoulder.

YesI can touch Invisible Hand.

Its neither cold nor warm, and normally invisible.

But Invisible Hand definitely exists hereas the old mans third arm

No good, I still dont get it

I sigh and sit down on the spot.

Is that so. In other words, youre not making progress in mastering Invisible Hand?

I nod to the old man who spoke to me while munching on aburi-na.

But even if you cant use Invisible Hand, youve learned various strange techniques, right? Arent those enough?

No.

I seewell, if you master Invisible Hand, Ill have outlived my usefulness to you. You dont have to try so hard.

Irritating.

Dont direct killing intent at me like thatyou subdue everything you dont like with violencedo you plan to live like that from now on?

A lecture from a villain?

Im an adult before Im a villain.

Im sorry.

My bad tooI meant it as a joke.

The twigs crackle in the campfire.

I temporarily stop observing Invisible Hand, stick a branch into the thickest, most delicious-looking aburi-na the old man had placed beside himself, and start grilling it over the fire

Hey, hey Emi! Thats the one I was saving as my last treat for today!?

Go to the field yourself! You can pick it yourself, right!? Ahaah, geez

I munch on the aburi-na absent-mindedly.

A crisp texture.

Gooey and sweet inside.

Delicious.

<Still, I didnt expect Invisible Hand to be this difficult to master.>

Youre right, Extra-sama

I wonder whats wrong

<The sensations of the techniques youve mastered so far might be interfering. For example, you originally mastered Magic Slash Thread as an application of Mantis, right? Invisible Hand seems to be a separate system of technique different from any of the magic power manipulation techniques so far. Right now, Emi, youre trying to find commonalities between the operation of Mana Sensing Thread and Invisible Hand, and view Invisible Hand as an application of Mana Sensing Thread, right? Maybe thats the mistake?>

Hmm, I see

But even so, what should I do then?

<Thats the problem, isnt it In the first place, how did this old man even master such a unique ability?>

I didnt think of that, Extra-sama.

<Eh?>

Thats right.

This old man might also have memories of the moment he first mastered Invisible Handor should I say when Invisible Hand manifested? Anyway, that moment.

<Theres also the possibility hes been able to use it unconsciously since birth.>

If thats the case, Ill give up.

Anyway, if I ask about the situation when he first manifested his unique ability and put myself in a similar situation!

Maybe that could be a clue to mastering Invisible Hand!?

<Will that really work?>

Hey, old man.

What is it?

When was the first time you used your unique ability? In what kind of situation?

Hmm

The old man stopped eating aburi-na for a moment and stroked his chin.

Dont laugh, okay?

And after pondering a bit, he looked into my eyes and said that.

It seemed he clearly remembered that moment.

Its fine, I wont laugh. Ive never laughed.

Im sorry.

I dont get why youre apologizing. Anyway, I wont laugh. So tell me.

Well

The old man took a deep breath.

He looked up at the sky.

A cloudless, star-filled sky.

A jewelry box out of reach.

That wasyes, I think I was around 5 years old at the time.

Saying that, the old man began reminiscing bit by bit.

At that time, I hada favorite doll that I always kept close to me.

An evil-faced old man with a doll?

You fool, dont make fun of me! I was a cute, timid little boy back then! Anyway, on that day too, I was playing in the garden while holding that doll.

That day wasthe day after heavy rain. There were many puddles around.

And II think I got my foot caught in the mud and accidentally threw the doll.

At this rate, the doll would fall to the ground and get dirty with mudI didnt want that to happen. I wanted to catch the doll somehow. That was my sole thought. And thenInvisible Hand manifested for the first time.

As a result, for some reason, the doll floated in the air and returned to my hand without getting dirty. Wellthats the gist of the story.

After finishing his story, the old man started munching on aburi-na again.

Somehow, the episode lacks dramadoesnt it lack something? Like an episode where someone was on the verge of death and you awakened due to anger.

You fool! What perspective are you critiquing from! Anyway, this is the story of the first time I used Invisible Hand! I have nothing more to say!

The old man got angry and turned away.

Hmm

<In other words, the desire to not lose something important caused this old mans unique ability to manifest. He probably had talent to begin with.>

I seesomething importanthuh.

So if I also try to hastily save something important thats about to fall, Invisible Hand will manifest?

But what would be something important to me?

I also place my hand on my chin and think while staring at the campfire.

First and foremost, my life and Extra-sama.

These are the most important things to me in this world.

<Emiyoure making me blush.>

Yes, yes.

But I cant exactly throw these things.

Something important that I can throwdid I have anything like that?

I dont have money.

I dont have things.

I dont have anything.

Ah.

But then I notice.

And I turn to the side.

What is it?

There sits an evil-faced old man, munching on aburi-na in a foul mood.

I, who have nothing important that I can throw, have grown a little attached to this old man after spending a month together.

In other words, under the current circumstances, this old man could be considered a fairly important existence to me, right?

Yeah.

Thats right, I can say that.

Heywhat is it, Emi? What are you thinking?

I thought, old man, youre an important person to me.

Whats with the suddenI-I see

The old man scratched his cheek and muttered in a small voice.

SoI

You?

The old man

Me?

Illthrow youoff a cliff!!

Why!!

It was immediately rejected.

Aburi-na is a fantasy plant that grows in the demon realm, and if you prepare the environment just a little, it will grow explosively at an incredible speed.

Easy to cultivate.