Kays Translations

Chapter 72: Time lag

“The time lag is easier to understand if you actually see it, rather than trying to explain it in words. Notice how long it takes for the goods to appear after the transformation spell is cast.”

　I brought a piece of firewood and placed it on the table. I usually cast the transformation spell silently, but I purposely said “transform” out loud. A wooden plate appeared at the same time I finished saying “transform.”

　Next, I turned to the table next to me and cast the transformation spell while saying “Transform.” After about a second, a cart appeared. I turned to another table and chanted “Transform,” and after about three seconds, a small Pieta statue appeared.

“It’s only slightly, but the time it takes to transform different objects varies. The one that took the longest so far was this statue. I wondered why, but I convinced myself that the more complex the object, the longer it takes to transform. But if the time it takes is different for something like a cart or a statue, there should be a considerable difference in the time it takes to transform an exact replica of a living human body.”

　Henry looked at Mr. Glidden , who gave a small nod.

“Mr. Glidden, did my grandmother take advantage of that time somehow?”

“Yes, she did. If you try to transport a human being far away by magic, the distance will be limited by the wizards magical power. So Liyol focused on the time it took for the transformation to take place. Liyol’s idea was that ‘between the time when the transformed material disappears and when it appears in a different form, there is a period of time when the object does not exist anywhere and is in a state of chaos.’”

“A state of chaos…”

　Mr. Henry repeated with a furrowed brow.

“Liyol thought that in that seemingly nowhere state of chaos, she could transport any object, including herself, to a faraway place by using a magic circle to determine its direction, distance, and height.”

　I remember reading something about this. I don’t know if it is true or not, but I heard that butterfly cocoons go through a period of time where they become muddled inside. Is that what you mean?　Did they transform themselves into themselves and move around in such an uncertain state? Just imagining it is terrifying.* 

　Didn’t she think that after she’d finished moving in that chaotic state, she might return to normal and find that her hands and feet were in the wrong place? Even a five millimeter shift in the eyes and nose on a face can be disastrous. I can’t believe that grandma would take such a gamble with her own body.

　I was shocked and remained silent, when Henry called out to me.

“ Mai. Why don’t we take a break and have a cup of tea?　I’ll brew It for you once in a while.”

　Saying this, Mr. Henry stood up, and Sarah stood up too. The two of them were arguing with each other, “I’ll do it,” “No, let me.” As I stared blankly at the two of them, I realized why the tumor had disappeared from my body.

　A larva that had gotten inside an acorn.

　I transformed it with the image of what it would look like with the larvae removed.

　If grandma had imagined a healthy Sasaki Mai while casting the transformation spell on my body… then the tumor and the tumor cells that had infiltrated my bloodstream would have been left behind in the hospital room.

　In other words, before I transcended the world, I was transformed into myself.

“Huh? In that case, there’s no need to make the destination location this world, right? Why didn’t she just use a slightly more remote location in the same world

　Mr. Glidden answered.

“Liyol has only used teleportation magic once. She probably wasn’t sure. Once she used teleportation magic on someone, it would take a considerable amount of time for her magic power to recover before she would be able to try it again. She probably chose the method with the highest probability of success. My guess is that for some reason you were sent to this world with little time left.”

“Yes. …….”

　I had explained this to Henry when he first transformed into a cat, but it was the first time Sarah had heard it and she looked at me with a mixture of surprise and fear.

“When I was sent here, I only had days, not weeks, left. The doctor told me, ‘You should see the people you want to see.’”

　Mr. Henry listens to my words with a sad look on his face.

“I thought so. You were running out of time, and if she failed she wouldn’t be able to try again. That’s why she decided to send you back along the same path she had experienced. Even so… it was quite a bold move. If she has failed, it would have sent you to who knows where.”

“If I had gone on like that, I would have died for sure. I think my grandmother would have rather chosen the path that would keep me alive and healthy, even if it was one in a thousand, than let me die for fear of failure. I think I know how much my grandmother agonized over this decision.”

　The tea Sarah brewed for us tasted better than usual, even though it was made with my tea leaves. She brought cookies from the kitchen and we all ate them together. That day, Mr. Glidden talked to me about various things regarding transformation magic. “I’m not very good at transformation magic. No matter how much I practice, I’ll never be able to beat Mai right now,” he said.

　This lesson was cancelled and ended with a discussion. The reason there was tension the whole time was because the three of them, not including me, were worried that ‘would Mai try to go back to where she came from, despite knowing the danger?’ 

　I am certain that “Grandma would not be happy about me taking the risk to return.” If she had wanted me to come back, she would not have said, “Laugh and live your life,” but would have said, “I’ll be waiting for you,” or “Come back.” That’s the kind of person my Grandma is. She was always the type to choose her words honestly.

　Mr. Glidden and Sarah left early. Mr. Henry stayed behind, looking dazed.

“Henry, would you like to see a shooting star?”

“I’d love to. Let’s do that.”

　I brought a blanket from upstairs and we both sat down on a bench in the backyard. Except for the high fence at the back of the house, there were no tall buildings around us, so the night sky was wide and open. There were no neon lights, so we could see an enormous number of stars. The comet was finally shining brightly and trailing behind. It was so bright that it even felt ominous.

　Henry and I snuggled up together under the same blanket.

“It’s so beautiful. Where I was, you couldn’t see a starry sky like this unless you went deep into the mountains.”

“Yes.”

“I’m a little tired from all the excitement today.”

“is that so”

“You don’t look good.”

“You noticed.”

　I wondered what he meant, but after a little while I understood.

“Are you talking about transformation magic? Did you realize before, Henry, that transformation magic is the key to world-transcending magic?”

“I was aware of it, and Mr. Glidden had told me about it. I was afraid that if you realized it, you would return to your world, so I was cowardly hoping that you would never notice. You’re angry that I didn’t tell you, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not. Anyway, when did you realize it?”

“When the peeled acorn appeared on the plate next to you.”

　That long ago?

“I’m frustrated. I’m not mad that you didn’t tell me about the transformation magic, but I am annoyed that you know more about my magic than I do.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s also annoying to be apologized to ……”

　As I was letting my thoughts flow, I was suddenly hugged very tightly. I relaxed and leaned against Henry’s chest as he held me, and he said, “I understand how you feel, Riyo-san.”

“How can you understand someone you’ve never met?”

“Even though I’ve never met you, I can understand. If I were in her shoes, I would agonize over it too and in the end send you away.”

“Even though you might fail?”

“Yes. it would be extremely frightening, but if there was a chance that you could be saved, I would send you away.”

　Maybe this person would do that. Someone who would not make a mistake in judgment. Someone who sent Carlotta off wishing her happiness. And someone who would probably also send me off telling me to “live happily.”

“I don’t know about me. I wonder if I can send you to another world for your sake, Henry. I don’t think I could succeed, and I dread to think what it would be like.”

“If you ever find yourself in that situation, please don’t send me away. I would rather my life end by your side than be alone in an unknown world away from you.”

Really*

　I had never considered such an option. At the time, I just wanted to live.

“I’ll hone my skills and be able to make potions that are more effective than the ones I’m making now so that those situations don’t come up.”

“As for teleportation, the Magic Department is developing a magical tool for that. We can open the way for you without you having to take any risks.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Mr. Leesley is the developer. It just consumes diamonds. ……”

　Then Henry stopped speaking.

“Diamonds?　Did you say it consume diamonds?　If it’s diamonds, I’ll provide them. I can make as many as you want.”

“I knew you would say that. Forget what I said.”

“Why? Because they might find out about my transformation magic?　I don’t mind since Mr. Leesley already knows I can use magic.”

“Mr. Leesley doesn’t know that you can make diamonds. Many people want your transformation magic. If they knew you could make diamonds from charcoal, you would be targeted. They could lock you up and make you make diamonds and opals endlessly. Let’s not do that.”

“What if I donate through someone else?”

“I can’t think of anyone who could donate that many diamonds.”

　That was a fair point, so the conversation ended there.

　For quite a long time, Henry and I gazed at the starry sky in silence. Even though I had gained this power, it was difficult to use it.

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