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

by Gamei Hitsuji

  But it still wasn’t enough. There was no doubt that he’d increased his knowledgebase several fold, but only harvesting information from books was insufficient. Sadly, articles on current events were scarce, and books on the magic of this world were inaccessible to him. In short, Suimei wasn’t satisfied with what he’d managed to accomplish.

  “Now then, setting that aside...”

  But what he needed to focus on now was much more pressing.

  Currently, Suimei was shut inside a gloomy stone room. It was completely devoid of furnishings, and there was no sign it had ever been lived in. In that sense, it was quite strange, but the most interesting thing of all was the enormous magicka circle at Suimei’s feet. It was the teleportation circle.

  Indeed, Suimei was in the ritual chamber where they’d first arrived, and he’d come here with a purpose.

  “...”

  What Suimei was focusing on in silence was obviously none other than the magicka circle drawn on the floor. It connected his world with this one, and as the main agent of the summoning spell that had brought him here, was an object of great disdain.

  If what King Almadious had said in the audience chamber was to be believed, the spell worked by having a summoner in this world reach out to another. The target of the summoning—in the language this world used to describe magic—was hailed by the summoner. That was the problem, since the summoner had no way to reverse the process and put the target back in their original world. The magicka behind the summoning circle was essentially a worthless one-way ticket, which Suimei regarded as a giant pain.

  But there was nothing that could be done about it. If no one knew of a spell to return, Suimei would simply have to come up with it himself. And he was ready to pull out all the stops to do it. To that end, analyzing the summoning circle that had brought him here seemed like the quickest possible way to get a lead.

  “Just a little bit more until the analysis is complete...”

  Just how many times had he already gone out of his way to try and do this? Over the past two weeks, he’d taken every opportunity he could get to sneak out of his room and come to this chamber to try and study the circle without anyone finding out.

  But this wasn’t a standard spell, and there was nothing standard about analyzing it. Normally analyzing magicka began with examining its roots, but information on this summoning magicka was so heavily guarded that Suimei had given up and decided to try something different. Instead, he’d adopted a top-down approach that started with investigating the circle itself.

  “Alright, let’s get started...”

  Talking as though he meant to convince himself of what he was doing, Suimei invoked his analysis magicka.

  “Correspondence of all creation...”

  Acting in concert with Suimei’s chant, a jade light made of mana rose up from his feet. It was an analysis circle, and it would be what he used to try and unravel the summoning circle. The spell that had actually been used to transport them here was still unknown to him. The exterior circle supplied support and kept things in balance, but there was no protection from the other side at all. The secondary circle didn’t seem to play a role. The triangular shapes of the diagram were inverted, suggesting a way to control the target, and the small intermediary circles were...

  ★

  Finishing up his business for the moment, Suimei decided to return to his room and left the ritual chamber. Sneaking, of course. As for the path back, he recalled it from memory. He’d long since memorized the way to and from his room. As he walked along, he muttered to himself.

  “At any rate, the fact that nobody has found me out yet... Practically speaking, isn’t that kind of troubling?”

  It was true. Suimei was able to go the whole way to and from the ritual chamber multiple times now without being spotted. Since he didn’t want to be seen, he was using astrology magicka to cloak himself, but even then, not a single person had suspected him or sensed that something was amiss. Security seemed lacking, to say the least. On the way over, Suimei had even walked right by someone who looked like a court mage. He’d leaned in to taunt them and test his limits, which likely looked quite silly, but they’d had zero reaction whatsoever.

  “Hrmm...”

  Suimei folded his arms. The fact that there wasn’t any sort of alarm or detection magicka system in place struck Suimei as rather reckless of them. Perhaps the castle just didn’t have any talented magicians on staff.

  But nothing would come out of Suimei contemplating the castle’s security issues, so he quickly put the thought out of his mind and continued on his way. In a matter of moments, however, he realized that he’d walked into a rather unexpected problem.

  “Uh oh...”

  The stupefied gasp that came out of his mouth perfectly matched the dumbfounded expression on his face. Thinking too hard must have distracted him enough that he’d taken a wrong turn somewhere, because he now found himself in an unfamiliar passage. Just how was he supposed to get back to his room from here? That question now dominated his thoughts. He’d only memorized the way to and from his room, and hadn’t bothered learning the layout of the rest of the castle.

  Oh my god, I’m an idiot.

  Suimei put his hand on his forehead as he looked up at the ceiling. This was yet another blunder. He was kicking himself over it, but he knew it wouldn’t help to dwell on it.

  “Oooh well... I guess I’ll just pop out somewhere and ask someone for directions.”

  Suimei dispelled his astrology magicka for the moment, and went looking for people. Surely if he said he was lost, someone would tell him where he needed to go. With a little luck and good timing, after walking down the passage for a short while, he quickly spotted someone. Approaching from behind, he called out to them.

  “Um, excuse me.”

  The robed figure then came to a stop and gracefully turned around.

  “What is the... Oh my, Suimei-dono.”

  “Hmm? Ah, if I remember right, you’re...”

  “My name is Felmenia Stingray.”

  Her voice and face were familiar. After politely giving him her name once more, he realized this was the young woman who’d taken part in the hero summoning—the silver-haired court mage Felmenia Stingray. He then nodded and let out a quiet “Aaah.” Seeing that, Felmenia knit her brow.

  “What are you doing here, Suimei-dono?”

  It was a perfectly good question. After the incident in the audience chamber, Suimei had shut himself in the room he’d been given. But now that he was suddenly out and about without Reiji, it was quite reasonable for her to be a tad suspicious.

  “Oh, I just thought I would take a little walk for a change of pace or something.”

  “I see. I do think a change of pace is a good idea, but you’re still a little unfamiliar with the castle to be walking around on your own, no? On the occasion that you would like to go out, it would be better for you to call someone and have them escort you.”

  “You have my sincere thanks for the advice. Much obliged.”

  Despite appearing to be about his age, the girl took a somewhat formal and cool tone with Suimei. Perhaps it was because of her position as a court mage, but Suimei took to imitating it when he spoke back.

  “It pains me to ask after you’ve already been so helpful, but could you perhaps introduce me to somebody who knows how to get back to my room?”

  “...Have you forgotten the way?”

  “It’s rather embarrassing to admit.”

  “Understood. I know where your room is, but I have business to attend to, so I can only accompany you part of the way there. If that will suffice, then please follow me.”

  “My apologies for the trouble.”

  After bowing his head, Suimei followed behind Felmenia as she walked down the hallway. Since she was here in the castle now, she’d probably just finished her magic lessons with Reiji and Mizuki for the day. She was probably on her way to give a report to the king or something. As Suimei continued to wo
nder what she was up to, she suddenly came to a stop. She then turned around and spoke to him in a quiet voice.

  “Suimei-dono, may I ask you something?”

  “What is it?”

  Suimei urged her to continue with a question of his own, but wondered why she felt such a need to stand on ceremony. Perhaps she was going to ask him about the magicka he’d used in the ritual chamber on the day they met. It was possible she’d noticed. As Suimei was making that grim supposition, Felmenia questioned him in a somewhat sharp tone.

  “Suimei-dono, why do you refuse to take part in the Demon Lord’s subjugation?”

  “Even if you ask why...”

  “The hero is your good friend. So why is it that you will not go forth and assist him? I do believe that you are in a position to do so.”

  As far as Suimei was concerned, these people had summoned him out of laziness and convenience, so to hear one of them talk about duty and obligation—especially to him—was comical and meaningless. Of course they wanted him to save them, but to him, even the thought of having to do that pissed him off. But he knew that he wouldn’t get anywhere raising hell about it every time it came up, so he decided to be as blunt as possible.

  “My answer to you will be the same as what I told His Majesty in the audience chamber. I flatly refuse to do anything so dangerous. That’s why I decided not to go with them.”

  Felmenia’s expression grew even more stern.

  “Even the delicate Mizuki-dono said that she would accompany the hero, but you won’t?”

  “I have no intention of making an emotional decision and getting dragged along.”

  “...Are you suggesting that’s what Mizuki-dono did?”

  “Isn’t it? In the heat of the moment, what other answer could she have given?”

  Suimei knew he was being bitter, but what he was saying was still true. Mizuki had made the same mistake Reiji had and made a commitment without fully understanding the situation or taking the time to discuss it with her friends. They’d all been put on the spot, but Suimei felt Reiji and Mizuki had acted foolishly.

  When Suimei dropped his formal manner of speech, Felmenia’s attitude also changed. She’d been treating him rather courteously up until now, but her tone suddenly turned cold.

  “Hmph, what a despicable man.”

  “What did you say?”

  In response, Suimei immediately became combative. Seeing Felmenia look at him so scornfully irritated him. But despite the change in his mood, she continued to pour oil on the fire.

  “I said you’re despicable, you damn coward. Do you really think you’re so smart for looking down on the courage your friends have mustered? No, it makes you petty and a fool. A bastard like you has no right to call himself a friend of the hero.”

  “Whether or not agreeing to this insanity was the right thing to do, don’t you at least think it was my choice to make the call for myself? Let me remind you that we were magically kidnapped—‘summoned,’ you call it—and asked to go to war to save the people who kidnapped us. Forget me. Don’t you think any sane person would say no to that?”

  It was a nearly unthinkable situation to be in. Suimei found it hard to believe that anyone, even from this world, would actually agree to a request like that. Felmenia, however, seemed completely unmoved by his argument.

  “Even though you were brought here by the hero summoning, however imperfect you may be?”

  “So what? It’s not like I came here to help you guys out. All you did was arbitrarily summon me. I was dragged into an accident that you caused. Kidnapping, remember? Don’t you see that I’m a victim here too? I don’t know what kind of ideals you hold that hero summoning or whatever it is to, but I have absolutely no obligation to you people. I don’t owe you anything.”

  After Suimei further drove that in, Felmenia reluctantly conceded that he had a point.

  “...I understand what you’re saying.”

  “Good.”

  “But regardless, Suimei Yakagi, isn’t what you’ve done dishonorable compared to Hero-dono and Mizuki-dono?”

  “Ugh...”

  Suimei had no intention of arguing with her there. He wasn’t the only victim in all this. He had no reason to be nice to the people who had summoned him, but as Felmenia was saying, they weren’t the only people he should be thinking about. While Reiji and Mizuki had selflessly stepped forward despite knowing the danger that lay ahead of them, Suimei was still keeping his true identity a secret for personal reasons. It was dishonorable. Selfish, even. And he knew it. He wasn’t going to make excuses.

  “Yeah, okay... You got me there. The fact that I care more about myself than this world may very well be because I have no honor whatsoever.”

  “You can admit that, but you still won’t help them? What a bastard. You’re beyond salvation.”

  Hearing Suimei cop to being dishonorable, Felmenia exploded. When it came to matters of morality, it seemed she felt quite strongly.

  Tch... This damn...

  However, to Suimei, Felmenia’s anger was quite unexpected. He didn’t enjoy being told he was beyond salvation, but she was mad for Reiji and Mizuki’s sake. After watching them work so hard, she just couldn’t stand Suimei’s cavalier attitude on the matter. When he realized that much, despite her role in the miserable summoning that had brought him here, he started to think she was actually a good person.

  But while what she was calling him out for was quite valid, he had no intention of opening up to her and telling her the real truth. His thesis was something close to his reason for living, but it was private. And so instead, he frivolously shrugged his shoulders and replied like he didn’t care in the slightest.

  “Yeah, yeah. Sorry ’bout that.”

  “You bastard!”

  Felmenia was visibly displeased with Suimei’s insolent attitude, and glared daggers at him. More importantly, Suimei could see the mana inside her body growing agitated.

  “Hey now... just what’re you planning to do in this kind of place?”

  A strong wave of bloodlust swept down the stone corridor. While keeping his focus on Felmenia as her rage only grew, Suimei put his hands on either side of his head. It looked like a gesture of exasperation, but he was at the ready if worse came to worst. Not a moment later, Felmenia fluently began weaving a spell together.

  “Silence, you damned fool. I, Felmenia the White Flame, shall beat some sense into you!”

  “Oh come on... Why did it have to come to this?”

  “You should take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself that!”

  “I mean, you can say whatever you want, but...”

  Seeing that Felmenia had taken excessive offense to it all, Suimei let out a somewhat perplexed groan. Her getting fired up for no good reason would only make things more difficult for him. Suimei himself couldn’t have been more disinterested in a fight, but when Felmenia realized that he wasn’t taking her seriously, she only grew more infuriated.

  “Bastard... Are you even listening to me?!”

  “Yes, and I can hear you just fine without the yelling. If you keep shouting like that, you’re just going to start bothering other people, get it?”

  “H-How rude of... No, you bastard! You need to pay serious attention when—”

  “My god, just calm down a little... Hmm?”

  As Felmenia grew more and more indignant, Suimei scratched his head with a vexed expression on his face. Starting to think there wasn’t any way to keep this from breaking out into a fight, he took a moment to size up his opponent. His narrowed eyes looked her up and down, and it was then that he realized the hem of her robe was caught between the sole of her shoe and the floor. In other words, she was stepping on it.

  “H-Hey, wait a sec. You’re gonna...”

  Fall. And dramatically. She would magnificently trip herself on her own robe. He could distinctly envision that future.

  “What?! I’m going to what?!”

  “I just meant that if you keep this u
p, well... You see, your foot...”

  “Did you think that I would fall for such a transparent ruse, you bastard?! Don’t insult me!”

  “No, I’m not insulting you or anything. But good grief, calm down already. Seriously...”

  In the end, it was tragic. Consumed by anger, Felmenia failed to heed Suimei’s warning. She never looked down at her feet, and Suimei’s moment of clairvoyance came to fruition.

  “Hmm? KYAH!”

  Trying to take a step forward with her robe still underfoot, Felmenia pitched forward violently enough that her robe flipped up in the back. Not only did she fall over, but she looked like she was trying to moon someone while doing it.

  “Wha?! What did you do, you bastard?! M-My robe, m-my robe is...”

  With the back of her robe now flipped up over her head, Felmenia couldn’t see anything.

  “I didn’t do a single thing. I’ve been standing right here in front of you the whole time.”

  “What did you say...?! Huh? Huh?”

  As she angrily thrashed about, Felmenia ended up strangely wrapping herself up in her robe like a net. That she managed to tie herself up so neatly on her own was actually impressive in its own right. Suimei waited for her to get back up, but contrary to his expectation, all that rose from the lump of cloth on the floor was a tearful whine.

  “It won’t come off... It won’t come oooooff...”

  “Good grief. I guess I don’t have a choice...”

  His face tinged slightly red, Suimei put his hand against his brow in exasperation. The sight of Felmenia with her underwear completely exposed and her curvy backside sticking out as she wriggled around on the floor was unequivocally pitiful.

  He couldn’t just leave her like that. She hadn’t exactly done anything wrong, so he didn’t see the harm in helping her. Averting his gaze from her exposed underwear as best he could help it, Suimei untangled the robe that had wound itself up in her incessant struggle to free herself, and then wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her up.