NOVEL NEXT Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Magic and Kidanakemo
Chapter 115: Magic and Kidanakemo
Laura in front of me seems like an ordinary woman. Despite being a bit worn out from the expedition, she’s undoubtedly a noble lady. Normally, it would be hard to associate her with the mighty Kidanakemo. But she herself claims to be a descendant of the Kidanakemo, and she says it with such a casual tone…
“Probably. But I’m almost certain of it. That’s why I believe the fundamental principle of what we recognize as magic is shared with the power of Kidanakemo. However, I honestly don’t understand what exactly Kidanakemo are doing or what kind of operations they perform. They must be manipulating magical energy in some way, but… Maybe Shiro and her kind understand that better.”
“Huh? Shiro?”
“What is it?”
Since earlier, Shiro and Gisella have been brushing Kuro’s long, unruly hair, which got out of hand due to the seawater. When I inadvertently spoke up, Shiro reacted, turning her head without stopping her hands. Her snow-white hair shimmered in the sunlight as she moved. Even though it had been days since their last bath, Shiro and Gisella’s hair remained clean and silky. Physically, Shiro is superhuman and beautiful, but linking her to magical power is difficult for me to grasp.
“Do you understand?”
“Yeah, a bit.”
“That’s because…”
“The Oni tribe is probably also descended from the Kidanakemo.”
“O-ohhh…”
Shiro continued her task, now talking to Gisella about fish. They didn’t seem particularly surprised or interested in the conversation we were having. Laura’s revelations kept startling me, but she talked about them so casually that it left me more confused. At the same time, a sense of excitement began to stir within me.
“But if that’s the case… could it be that… I too…?”
“No, Bonus-san, you don’t show any signs of it. You probably won’t be able to use magic.”
“Oh, I see…”
It was more of a shock than I expected. I had been somewhat excited. It was like going from a teenager’s dream to the reality of middle age in an instant. I had hoped to awaken some hidden power.
“By the way, why are nobles and magic users considered descendants of the Kidanakemo?”
“Humanoid Kidanakemo from another world probably had children with the local humans. Bonus-san, do you know that Kidanakemo are thought to come from a different world?”
“Yeah… I remember hearing something like that from Menas a long time ago. She said that ‘Kidanakemo’ means ‘monsters from another world’ in the Tamir Empire’s language.”
“That’s right, in ancient Tamir, to be precise. But in reality, not much is known about Kidanakemo, and there’s no strict definition. The idea that they came from another world is based on old legends and researchers’ hypotheses.”
The theory that Kidanakemo came from another world made sense based on my own experiences. But if that’s the case, then I would also be considered a Kidanakemo, and so could I use magic…? I’m not sure.
“However, Kidanakemos have a common characteristic. They cannot stray far from the center of Hell’s Cauldron. Past research shows that this tendency is stronger in larger individuals. As you know, almost all Kidanakemo don’t leave Hell’s Cauldron.”
“Yeah, that seems to be the case. But I don’t quite understand how this relates to magic users and Kidanakemo.”
“Actually, magic has a similar nature to Kidanakemo. Earlier, I mentioned that fluctuations in magical energy exist everywhere, but on a larger scale, this isn’t quite accurate. From a broad geographical perspective, the fluctuations in magical energy decrease the further you get from Hell’s Cauldron. In the far northern lands of snow and ice, these fluctuations are nearly undetectable. Moreover, nobles who marry far away often fall ill and have shorter lifespans.”
“I see…”
“Additionally, most magic users are found in the countries surrounding Hell’s Cauldron, and the only country where all nobles are magic users is the Kingdom of Lenas. Nobles from the Kingdom of Lenas tend to feel anxious, irritable, and aggressive when they travel far for diplomacy.”
“Now that you mention it, they are known for being warlike and disliked by neighboring countries…”
“That might not be the only reason, but it could be one of them. Therefore, it’s most straightforward to consider that we, magic users, are descendants of Kidanakemo that interbred with the local creatures. Of course, there’s no way to prove it, and some researchers completely disagree. However, this notion is an open secret among the nobility. Isn’t that right, Kohaku?”
Laura lovingly embraced Kohaku. Kohaku, seemingly fighting off its sleepiness, had its eyes half-closed and was showing a bit of the whites of its eyes.
But, really, how true is this? I recalled the powerful and overwhelming form I saw at the hideout’s lake. That black panther was solitary. Somehow, I can’t imagine it mating with local creatures to produce Kohaku. But in any case, there’s no doubt Kohaku is a descendant of Kidanakemo. Perhaps Laura is particularly fond of Kohaku because they share the same roots. Though, judging by her demeanor, she’s probably just captivated by Kohaku’s cuteness.
“So, in summary, something essential for the existence of magical energy, magic users, and Kidanakemo all radiates from the center of Hell’s Cauldron. Therefore, it makes sense to think they share the same roots, right?”
“Exactly!”
“I see. By the way, do the nobles of the Tamir Empire adjacent to Hell’s Cauldron use magic?”
“Long ago, some nobles did, but they don’t now. In fact, magic is considered taboo and is forbidden. Instead, the empire seems to use something called sorcery… I’m not very knowledgeable about the empire, though.”
“Sorcery… this just keeps getting more mysterious. Oh, by the way, what about Pink?”
“Is Pink also a Kidanakemo? I haven’t sensed any magical energy from it. However, it does seem like there’s an unnatural absence of magical fluctuations around it.”
“Oh, really…”
Pink peeked out of my pocket, giving me a look as if to say, “What do you want?” I think its light beam is also magic, but Laura hasn’t seen it yet. I’ll ask her again when the time comes.
“What exactly is at the center of Hell’s Cauldron, I wonder…”
“Yes, that is intriguing. Are there any records in the Kingdom of Lenas?”
“There have been several attempts to explore it, but none got close to the center and ended in near-total annihilation.”
“Wow… I see…”
I recalled the Kidanakemo I’ve encountered so far. Without Pink, I would have died many times over. Especially in the south of the hideout, where even now, with Elizabeth around, it’s still dangerous.
“The largest and most recent documented exploration was 120 years ago, with a group of 3,000 people including magic users. It’s a famous record kept in the diary of Baron Tarif. Another high-ranking noble led the expedition, with Tarif acting as the recorder. I read it in the royal capital’s library. The diary detailed life in Hell’s Cauldron… it was fascinating!”
“Three thousand… that’s an enormous scale.”
“Ultimately, while battling several Kidanakemo, they were suddenly attacked by a giant snake and were almost completely wiped out. Most of the exploration team, along with the Kidanakemo they were fighting, were eaten. Only about a dozen, including Baron Tarif, survived. There are no official records of explorations since then.”
“A snake, huh…”
I remembered the giant snake with eight eyes that I encountered soon after arriving in this world. I haven’t seen it since, but it was an incredibly dangerous creature. It was so huge that it seemed capable of swallowing Elizabeth whole, and at first glance, it felt like the ground was pulsing. It might be the same snake mentioned in Baron Tarif’s diary. Given its size, it’s believable that it could have devoured 3,000 people. Laura’s story was terrifying, and recalling it now still filled me with fear. If I encounter it again, will I be able to defeat it…?
“It was nice meeting you”
“Huh?”
I spoke unconsciously to Pink, who had its face stuck in my now lukewarm coffee cup, looking displeased. I meant to address Pink, but Laura misunderstood and looked at me quizzically.
“Oh, no… Laura, can I have some ice for my coffee?”
“Oh, sure. Here you go.”
It was somewhat difficult to explain, so I ended up asking for ice to avoid the topic. Laura, not seeming to mind, nodded with a smile and stared at the coffee cup for a moment. Soon, the center of the coffee turned into a small ice chunk. It was a subtle but unmistakable act of magic. At that moment, Laura must have captured the fluctuation of magical energy in the cup, repeatedly performed some mysterious calculations, and heightened the magical energy. The heightened energy returned to a stable state, triggering the magic that partially froze the coffee. As expected, I couldn’t perceive any of it. All I knew was that the coffee suddenly froze. It’s entirely mysterious…
“Oh, did I cool it too much?”
“No, it’s just right. You’re very skilled.”
Pink had its face back in the coffee, now looking satisfied with narrowed eyes. It seemed to like either piping hot or ice-cold drinks.
“Hey, Bonus. So, are we building that watchtower?”
“Oh, Oscar, you caught one… it’s tiny. Yeah, we are building the watchtower.”
Oscar returned with a small fish, about the size of Pink, looking very pleased. Zamza and Mil seemed to have had better luck and were already prepping the fish. It looked like Kuro and the others had finished taking care of their hair and were packing up. It was about time to get back to work.
“Laura, thank you. I learned a lot, and it was very interesting. Let’s talk more at the hideout.”
“Yes, of course! Ah… I’m finally going to Hell’s Cauldron… I’m so excited!”
“So, Oscar, about the watchtower. I don’t have a concrete design yet. I’ll draft some plans when I return to the hideout tomorrow. Give me your advice then.”
“I see… So, you’re going back to that hideout place… By the way, can we eat this fish?”
“Well… we can try frying it tonight. But for now, let’s get back to work.”
“Yeah, you’re right! I’m looking forward to the evening bath, too!”
Oscar said this as he eagerly went over to Zamza and Mil, probably to learn how to clean the fish. He seemed much more energetic than when he was in Savoia.
“Gyaugya!”
“Hey, Bonus. How do we look?”
“Kuro did our hair. How is it?”
Shiro and Gisella, having finished cleaning up, showed me their hair. Kuro had styled their hair differently. They looked a bit different from usual. Shiro’s hair had been braided, adding a touch of cuteness to her usual androgynous and mature look. Gisella’s hair was loosely braided, utilizing her natural waves, which softened her overall appearance. Both were beautiful and charming, but I wondered if they were also descendants of Kidanakemo.
When Laura first mentioned it, I thought it was shocking. However, seeing them in front of me now, it didn’t seem to matter much.
“Shiro, your usual beauty now has a touch of cuteness, giving you a devilish charm. Gisella, your mature allure is emphasized, making me want to be spoiled by you!”
“Hehe.”
“Haha, feel free to be spoiled~!”
“Whoa.”
“Kyau!”
As I complimented them, they sandwiched me between them. For some reason, Kuro joined in, looking pleased. Laura, watching this through her fogged-up glasses, nervously spoke up.
“Um… How do I look?”
“Huh? Oh, your hair is all sticky—”
“Ahhhh! Never mind, I get it! Never mind! Ugh…”
“Umm…”
Laura let out a soul-draining sigh, buried her face in Kohaku, and flopped down. I messed up… I answered without thinking. Of course, she has her own charm, and seeing her work diligently despite being worn out is actually quite endearing. When Laura comes out of the steam bath, I’ll have to shower her with compliments.