Even if my only strength is water magic, having modern knowledge should be sufficient, right?

Episode 40: Another Choice

In this country, there’s no such thing as personal information protection, and gifts come pouring in.

While my exact identity isn’t known, it seems that the person named Frim who helped the king is well known.

“Um, Ael-san. What are these?”

“These are gifts from many nobles.”

“…”

A mountain of gifts that would easily surpass the compensation for the work from Lord Bursal.

Considering the factional disputes, it’s understandable. There are factions akin to the President’s and Vice President’s factions, and this time the President was almost assassinated. Unlike Japan, where it’s generally safe due to the rule of law, the police are likely to be on the side of the winner. If the assassination had succeeded, the Vice President would have taken over as President, and the President’s faction would have been stripped of their positions, allowing the Vice President’s faction to dominate the company.

Even in Japan, there was a culture of gift-giving, but depending on the company, it could be seen as bribery, and some companies had rules such as setting prices, allowing gifts only from a gift book, or outright prohibiting them.

I’ve heard that civil servants are prohibited from accepting gifts to prevent corruption, but in the world, there are countries where corruption and bribery are commonplace.

While there may be genuine feelings of gratitude behind the gifts, there are various meanings behind them.

“Wanting a good position” or “Let’s continue to get along”… my grandfather used to say that a thoughtful gift during gift-giving season could affect promotion.

Children might be delighted with presents, but hearing words like “Our faction has sent our thanks” or “We’ve sent them properly! Our house wasn’t involved in the assassination!!” makes me feel awkward.

— But still, isn’t my information spreading too much?

In modern times with the development of social media, the speed of information is incredibly fast. Even news from the other side of the world can spread in just an hour.

Before that, there were TVs, radios before that… pagers? No, was it through magazines or word of mouth? Or was it mainly through gossip at the neighborhood well?

In times less safe than modern-day Japan, information would directly affect one’s own and one’s family’s lives, and perhaps without the perspective of personal information protection itself, this is how things were. But still, who was it? The one who sent the metal chamber pot? Are they stupid?

“I’d like to go home soon.”

“We don’t know the movements of the enemy, so it’s better to rest a bit longer. Now, would you like some sweets?”

Strong medicine has healed all surface wounds. After the battle, Frim-chan was apparently so covered in blood that it was unbearable to look at, and the maids are incredibly overprotective.

What hasn’t healed are my legs, and apparently healing magic doesn’t reach the core of the body easily. It seems the pharmacist and the doctor decided it would be better to use strong medicine rather than to use strong healing magic. Maybe being dragged by the whip was so devastating… after all, Frim-chan is still a little girl.

Anyway, when I’m lying down, I end up thinking about all sorts of things, which isn’t good. I can’t see my future prospects at all.

If the king is the most important, then staying with the king would be the best, but having dozens of assassins coming into the palace is just too dangerous.

I don’t know what that pompous Prime Minister is thinking, but he occasionally accompanies the king with a bitter expression. Ael-san and the maids spoil me… the king seems to emit an air of “you can stay here forever,” giving off an atmosphere of wanting me to stay.

From my Japanese sensibilities, I can somewhat understand. If I were told that my precious friend had died and their child was living in an alley, I wouldn’t go as far as “become one of us,” but I might try to find relatives for them or provide support for their living expenses for a while.

— It’s tough for a 4-6 year old girl to decide her future. And all the routes I can imagine seem quite stuck.

I stretch my shoulders and then practice water magic. After all, in the end, my own power is what matters most.

Water magic may be my only strong point, but I think if I hadn’t practiced various things so far, I would have died. The person with fire magic seemed to let me go, but there were also other assassins in the castle.

Water Blade magic, which is treated subtly in the grimoire, doesn’t feel quite right when used by Frim-chan.

The further away from myself, the less control I have and the less sharp it is. Using the spear-shaped water magic on the spot was good. Instead of the shape of a spear, it condensed the water into a bullet with a certain mass and fired it, and just hitting it was powerful enough.

Generate water, solidify it, float it, manipulate it, aim it, and release it. Water magic can do all of these things.

The consumption and effectiveness of magic are on a completely different level between using a spell for the first time and using it repeatedly. Practice makes perfect after all!!

“”

The rapid-fire water cannon destroys the target and punches holes in the wall behind it.

While the water jet magic can reach from short to long distances, its single-hit power is insufficient. If we’re talking about the knockback effect of pushing opponents and creating distance, I think water jets would be better. High-pressure washing is limited to short distances and tends to scatter.

“Wow~”

I practice while being praised by the maids.

My body still aches, and the smell of herbs lingers, but I can still use magic.

“What kind of magic is this rumored explosive flame?”

“Want to try it out?”

“Sure, I’ll get a new target ready.”

As soon as I say that, I was lifted up again.

This person seems to cherish me as if I were the apple of her eye. I might get my head sucked like a cat soon.

“May I light a candle? I want it near the target.”

“Understood.”

Manipulating water balls in the air was like crystal juggling, fun but quick to finish since the maids had prepared everything. It’s awkward to be carried by Ael-san. Children are heavy.

Injecting oxygen into the water balls and dropping them near the candle. Nothing happened with the first shot, but the second one exploded with a bang.

Even with just that amount of oxygen, there was quite an impact. Ael-san seemed startled by the noise.

“Huh!?”

“The experiment was successful.”

The other water balls were stopped at the wall, and the experiment was halted. It hasn’t been long since the assassination incident, and if I overdo it, security might rush in.

“Can we stop now?”

“Yes, I could make it stronger, but it’s quite dangerous, so let’s stop here.”

I don’t know the concentration, but such a small amount of oxygen caused this explosion. At that time, I must have given it my all, so it would have been quite a spectacular explosion. It’s called explosive flame for a reason.

Ozone and hydrogen peroxide can also become toxic depending on their concentration. I’m not sure about the control, but hydrogen peroxide should be able to decompose proteins, so maybe I’ll try using it for cleaning after increasing the concentration a bit?

Ultra-concentrated ozone water blade! Or hydrogen peroxide water blade! And if I turn acidic or alkaline water, whose effects I don’t understand, into water blades… no, that’s a bad idea. It might get redirected by someone who uses wind magic, and I’d be scared if it hit me. Let’s refrain from using it for attacks.

Practicing with hot water is also good practice, and I pour the water myself.

“”

“You could use the main bath.”

“Why are you undressing, Ael-san?”

“Should I join you?”

We enjoy ourselves in a bathtub big enough for two.

We bathed together. Ael-san has a nice body, with everything in the right place. I wish I could be like that too.

“This hot water… is really good. It seeps into you.”

“It’s reeally soaking in.”

“Hehe”

I was laughed at for saying something like an old man.

The water made with magic is said to be very delicious by some people. I don’t really understand, but Boss and Lord Bursa, as well as the people here, all had that reaction.

I’m washed with high-quality soap. It smells awful. I might get a rash, so I wash it off thoroughly. Maybe only my skin is still intact. Yeah.

After bathing, I try a little experiment.

Although slightly cold juice is available, I try to dispense cold water. What happens if I chill it to the limit?

“”

As I pour it into a cup, the water freezes on the spot… It’s like a chemistry experiment.

Supercooled water. If you try to pour out a supercooled carbonated drink, it turns into sherbet. I remember experimenting with it in the freezer; it was fun. Even if you try to drink it, only a little juice comes out at first, and the rest remains frozen inside the bottle.

“I… ice!? …No, this is the crystallization of Frim-sama’s efforts… Surely, a tough life… ugh.”

“Somehow, I managed to do it when I tried.”

I can’t shake the feeling that I might have been misunderstood, but the chilled drink after the bath was delicious. According to Professor Ael, “magic” varies from country to country. In this country, the fundamental magic is “spirit magic,” which revolves around contracts with spirits. It’s a rough magic where simply wishing or imbuing your voice with magical power to the spirits makes it work. My magic also requires control, but it’s quite rough when it comes out.

In the Dwarven nation, they develop “rune magic”; in the sacred nation of Lutartive, they have “ritual magic,” where they pray to gods; in the beastman nation, they have “lineage magic”; and the barbarians use “berserk transformation.” There are many other types of magic, but they are not exclusive to their respective countries; they seem to have spread to some extent to other nations.

And the research on the fundamental “magic” is conducted in every country. Magic tools imbued with magical power, such as the pictures drawn during the interrogation of suspects, which sprouted flames when placed in a box, were probably such items.

The magic in this country is rough compared to other nations. It operates on a vague and mysterious law where invisible spirits around lend their power, and there’s no intricacy like magic tools or magic circles.

Basic magic requires an incantation or the use of a catalyst like waving a wand to generate magical power…

“Frim-sama, did you use any tools or catalysts when you used fire or wind magic?”

“No, I just extracted oxygen and hydrogen from water… the ignition was from the enemy’s fire.”

“Huh? Water can burn…??”

“It’s amazing, right?”

“????”

I laughed it off, but it seems that oxygen and hydrogen weren’t well known. Although I only use water magic, I’m known as Frim, the explosive flame magician in the castle.

I’ve tried burning oxygen and hydrogen a little in a chemistry experiment, but since it’s magic, you have to create it based on your senses, so I don’t know about concentrations and such. I panicked when I tried releasing ozone at close range.

—As my injuries gradually heal and my life in the palace comes to an end, the king came.

“Hey, won’t you come to me?”

“I’ll go if it’s safe, you know.”

He told me to speak more casually than formal, so I did.

“I see. I didn’t want the throne, but… what are you going to do now?”

“Well, Boss… no, I mean… First, I intend to consult with the merchant Dugga-sama.”

If Boss says “get out,” then it’s time to leave. There’s also the possibility that the former king’s elder brother, who seems to be hostile, might take me away by the neck, but in that case, I’ll resist with all my might. I’ll spew the rumored explosive flame magic.

“Dugga, huh? He’s a dangerous merchant, though… But, well…”

The king seems to be lost in thought. I want to be alone with Ael-sensei for the last magic lesson… no, I mean, I want him to leave.

“What is it?”

“I’ll show you a new path. When you return———-”

“Huh…”

The new choice proposed by the king was… something incredible.