Kays Translations

Chapter 112: Magic Spiral Research 

(Leyline Magic training= Geomagic training)

The optimal structural form for connecting to the ley lines came to be called the “magic spiral,” and before I even knew it, the research had completely moved beyond my hands. The materials and structure of the magic spiral are very important, but neither the procurement nor processing is particularly difficult. Any decent craftsman besides me could easily reproduce it.

Anyone could actually do research on the magic spiral—it didn’t necessarily have to be me.

Given that, it was inevitable that people would swarm to this major breakthrough in the field of magic.

After undergoing several minimum safety checks at the Tokyo University of Magic, the magic spiral was publicly announced worldwide.

And almost instantly, research institutions across the globe began investigating it simultaneously.

Connecting to ley lines and enhancing the body through the magic spiral has the potential to change the balance of the world.

Not only would it be a game-changer for physical labor, but its ability to fundamentally enhance military power is especially appealing.

If regulations regarding magic spirals aren’t established quickly, there’s a real risk of magic, muscle-bound criminal groups running rampant all around the place. There are also complicated issues surrounding manufacturing rights and research into magic spiral staffs.

Right now, it’s not possible, but someday we might be able to use ley line connections to investigate what’s happening inside the Earth—or even develop techniques to continuously draw magic from the land and unleash infinite spells.

For better or worse, the magic spiral will change the world.

After consulting with Hiyori, we decided to credit the discovery of the magic spiral (the ley line connection and the resulting physical enhancement) to Mamono-kun.

If I received too much recognition, it would only increase the number of people targeting me. Besides, it’s not entirely untrue—Mamono-kun’s contribution was very much involved in the discovery.

Ordinarily, the achievement of offering such a groundbreaking and potentially profitable technology to the world for free would be enough to cancel out the crime of unauthorized Class-A1 monster ownership.

It was like paying bail—Mamono-kun was now allowed to visit Okutama anytim he wanted, without needing to be chaperoned by Hiyori every single time.

At first, Mamono-kun was apologetically bowing his head to me over and over again, but once he was hailed as the leading authority on magic spirals, it wasn’t just a matter of being apologetic anymore—he didn’t even have time to come to Okutama anymore.

He started receiving visits from powerful government officials, got swamped with patent-related procedures, and ended up simultaneously managing both the ghost gremlin ranch and the magic spiral research team.

Between work and business meetings, he had to smile and be friendly with reporters, keep Gazer-kun entertained, and fulfill his ongoing duties as vice-chair of the Japan Monster Society.

Hearing about his near-lethal level of engageents, I couldn’t help but feel relieved that I’d thrown all the credit for discovering the magic spiral his way.

Seriously though.

Thanks to Hiyori and the Spider Witch acting as my diplomatic shield, I’ve been able to live a carefree life in my house in Okutama.

If you make a revolutionary discovery, it’s only natural to be overwhelmed just like Mamono-kun is. I really am an unusual case.

If the Okutama Guardians ever loosened their protection even slightly, things would spiral out of control. I’d be in real trouble. Especially that so-called “press corps” of reaper squads—those guys better never come near me. Their standard attack, “interview,” has the power to stress me to death three times over.

While watching Mamono-kun’s chaos from the safe distance of the opposite shore, I finally resumed the disassembly work on the Demon King Gremlin that had been on hold due to all the commotion.

The task itself is just endless dismantling, but I find new, small discoveries every day, and it’s fun. It reminds me of the time I took apart my dad’s expensive watch as a kid and got scolded like crazy. Except in this case, no matter how much I take the Demon King Gremlin apart, nobody gets mad—if anything, I’m praised. So my motivation never runs dry.

When you’re absorbed in a task, time flies. I realized midsummer had arrived when the breeze coming in through the window lost its chill and started to feel warm.

Once again this year, a trip to play in the Okutama river is being planned.

Thanks to my rapidly improving social skills, I finally understood why Hiyori tries to exclude everyone else from these river trips.

Hiyori wants to go on a swimsuit date with just me…!

When two people hang out, they can devote 100% of their attention to each other.

But if it’s three or more, attention gets divided—something like 90% to Hiyori and 10% to Spider-san. It becomes impossible to look only at Hiyori or think only about Hiyori.

Therefore, only in a one-on-one setting can both people fully dedicate themselves to each other, creating that so-called “just-the-two-of-us space.”

Having solved this long-standing mystery, I grabbed Hiyori—who was reading a swimwear catalog in the living room—to confirm my answer.

I was confident I had scored a perfect 100, but Hiyori gave me a complicated look and a harsh score.

“Seventy points.”

“Wha—why? Where did I lose thirty points?”

“The content is basically correct. But the mistake was asking me to confirm it.”

“Huh? But you want to have fun flirting with just me, right? Because you love me. So what’s wrong with that?”

“…That you can say that with a straight face is your strength, Dairi. To put it in terms even you can understand… it’s like explaining a joke. Kinda kills the mood, right? If you need to confirm it directly, that already means the communication failed.”

She said it gently, like she was talking to a child. I was reminded of something Professor Ohinata once told me: “Directly asking the intent behind someone’s words is like handing them the ball during a game of catch. It’s not ideal.”

D-Damn. I failed to apply something I already learned…! This must be what they call “not reading the room.”

I think I’ve learned so many new communication concepts recently that the older stuff is getting pushed out and slipping away.

“Sorry. Talking is hard.”

“Well. Compared to when you used to tell me ‘Don’t talk to me, don’t come near me,’ you’ve made huge progress. We’ve got long lifespans, so take a hundred years if you need to. I’ll be here as long as it takes for you to get good at talking.”

“R-Really? Thanks, Hiyori. I love you!”

“…If your sweet-talking gets any better, I might be in trouble.”

Hiyori blushed slightly and gave me a soft smile.

Hmm! Time to run the latest internal learning module!

Just now, Hiyori said, “If your sweet-talking gets any better, I might be in trouble,” but based on previous similar cases, the real meaning is—she’s not actually in trouble! It’s just a way of hiding her embarrassment!

And if I try to confirm this theory, my data says there’s a 99% chance Hiyori will sigh with a deadpan look…!

Therefore, the correct move is to say nothing…!

Man, the fact I have to use this much brainpower just to have a conversation shows how inexperienced I am. It’ll probably take me a hundred years to be able to chat naturally and smoothly. But if that’s what it takes to have perfect communication with Hiyori, I’ll do it—even if it’s overwhelming.

Still, if I’ve got a hundred years, there’s no need to rush. I can take it slow.

For now, I shelve the mental gymnastics and ask Hiyori to lend me her outdoor gear catalog for the river trip. Sitting beside her, we talk it over—this one’s good, that one looks better—as we browse through the options.

Then, the doorbell rang.

When I answered, Professor Ohinata was standing there holding a thick envelope of documents.

Today she was in humanoid mode, dressed in a mature, cool, and calm summer outfit.

“Hello, Dairi-san. These are the latest research findings on the magic spiral from this week.”

“Whoa, the documents get thicker every time. Any major discoveries?”

“We now have data on enhancement rates across race, gender, age, and region. Aside from magic control ability, the factor with the biggest impact on enhancement speed is region—although it’s only a minor difference.

Also, the Alraune clan withdrew their objection after a single word from the Flower Witch, and they’ve agreed to continuously provide large quantities of material for the magic spiral staff.”

“I see.”

It may not be a dramatic breakthrough, but the research is clearly moving forward.

Details of Permanent Physical Enhancement via Geomagic Channeling are the First to Be Studied.

For example, the maximum magic energy lost due to enhancement—it’s known that this does not recover.

Suppose someone originally has a default magic capacity of 5K.

Through magic training, they raise it to 10K and reach their limit.

Then, if they undergo Geomagic training and it drops to 9K…

Their magic training limit also drops to 9K, and returning it to 10K becomes impossible. The limit itself is permanently reduced.

So, the idea of a never-ending combo where you raise your physical abilities with Geomagic training → restore lost magic with magic training doesn’t work.

This ties into the amount of magic power possessed by Transcendents and the nausea they suffer.

Transcendents gain bodies that have already undergone Geomagic training to their limit at the moment of mutation—they start at max enhancement.

Geomagic training involves mixing one’s own magic power with the earth’s and adapting it to the body.

If a Transcendent, already at their max enhancement, tries to undergo further training, their body, though already full, tries to absorb more of the earth’s magic. This causes nausea—the body rejects the excess magical power.

Now, assuming the average physical strength of a Transcendent corresponds to the upper limit of enhancement, we can calculate that if one spends about 3000K worth of magic power on geomagic training, they’d reach similar physical capabilities.

But the average magic power of a magician is only around 2000K, meaning they can never reach the physical capabilities of a Transcendent no matter what.

The average magic power of a Transcendent is 6000K. If they were to reclaim the magic sacrificed for geomagic training, it would rise to 9000K. The gap between Magicians and Transcendent is as wide as the gap between regular humans and magicians.

Whatever you try to do—magic, magic, magic—it always comes down to magic power.

Even with low magic, geomagic training is possible, but it barely makes a difference. Thus, it is not recommended for regular humans.

Even those who can’t control magic can do geomagic training, but it’s left to natural processes and is far less efficient than intentional training using magic control.

The average training rate for regular humans: 1K per month.

The average for Magicians: 1K per day.

Though there are individual differences, humans never exceed 1K per 10 days, and Magicians never fall below 1K per 3 days.

It’s a cruel wall of talent. When it comes to magic, humans are simply not built to surpass Magicians.

Last week, Professor Ohinata brought in research data on a new experiment from the Department of Mutation aiming to break through this wall of talent—it was quite fascinating.

The Department of Mutation at Tokyo Magic University is a group of mad scientists. Their field is “partial mutation.”

While transformation magic and Transcendents mutate their entire body into another species, these researchers focus on mutating only parts—like hands, feet, throat, etc.

This research has been ongoing for a long time. Some people in the department have four arms, some have both human ears and beast ears (four ears), and some are even alive despite having no head.

Applied to geomagic training, this “partial mutation” could offer hope to those with low magic power.

Geomagic training enhances the entire body—power, speed, durability.

The lost magic power is distributed across improvements to all basic stats.

But if, using partial mutation, one could direct it however they wanted, it would change everything.

If you gave up on speed and durability, and focused solely on enhancing strength in the right arm, you could gain superhuman power far more efficiently than full-body enhancement. It’s a “romantic build” where just your right arm becomes capable of finishing moves.

If you gave up on speed and power and focused only on full-body durability, you could raise your defense efficiently—ideal for VIP protection.

Humans fundamentally lack sufficient magic power to become Transcendents.

But if it’s just one arm. Just defense.

If it’s only a tiny part of the body, maybe they can reach Transcendent levels.

Well, for now, it’s just theoretical, but the Department of Mutation is said to be enthusiastically pursuing this research. Hopefully, they’ll make progress.

I flipped through the research documents but didn’t find anything more interesting than what the professor had already mentioned.

Well, I guess that’s to be expected. But what caused the sudden change of heart in the Alraune tribe?

“What’s up with the Alraune tribe? They used to refuse to supply materials so strongly.”

When I tilted my head and asked, the professor gave a wry smile.

Fuyou is very fond of me, so she’ll give me materials for the magic spiral staff if I ask—heck, even if I don’t ask.

But that’s because I am an exception.

The Alraune tribe, led by the Flower Witch, typically use humans to expand their influence.

Though it may look like peaceful coexistence, in reality, the Alraune use humans—not the other way around.

When asked to produce staff materials for humans, they would either outright refuse or demand exorbitant compensation—effectively still a refusal.

“The Flower Witch likes long-term investments. It seems she saw humanity’s rising enthusiasm and considered the bigger picture.”

“Yeah… she does give that patient vibe.”

I nodded, recalling how she extended my lifespan and sent Fuyou to me.

When I obtained a magic stone during the Aratake Clan incident, the Flower Witch never requested to process it.

Decades later, I finally understood why she kept it raw.

During the post-Gremlin disaster era, magic stones were rare and vital. Magic scissors and staffs made from them became humanity’s greatest asset for survival. Without them, we wouldn’t be here.

That means almost all magic stones back then were immediately processed to meet the urgent needs of the time.

Currently, only two unprocessed magic stones exist in the world.

The Flower Witch owns one of them. She lends it to research institutions, gaining powerful connections and wealth in return. Like wine, it becomes more valuable just by keeping it close. Very shrewd.

“Right now, the most common staff is based on Fuyou’s golden spiral. Only the Alraune can produce its materials, making them extremely valuable. But they’re not the only ones with the golden spiral. Many type-A monsters have the same structure. Eventually, other sources will be found. If the Alraune hoard their materials now and breed resentment, they’ll lose their position as sole supplier and be left only with enemies. Selling now, while their value is high, and gaining favor is the better move.”

“The Flower Witch didn’t say that outright, but that’s the impression I got from talking to her.”

“I see…?”

“You’re thinking about all this way too deeply. Basically, it’s like: ‘Tapioca tea is trending, so let’s sell a ton of tapioca while it’s hot!’ That kind of thing, right? The old witch is cunning.”

“We’ve been chatting here long enough. Wanna come in? Hiyori’s around though.”

“Ah, sorry. I really appreciate the invite, but I’ve got plans to visit Mamono-kun after this…”

“Oh yeah? Well, tell Mamono-kun I said hey.”

“Will do. I’ll be on my way then.”

The professor gave a polite bow and walked off.

As I watched her leave, I fanned myself with a stack of papers and let my thoughts drift.

Hmm… Hmmm…?

Professor Ohinata is a natural-born sunshine-type—she gets along with everyone. So the fact that she quickly hit it off with Mamono-kun isn’t strange at all.

But carving out time from her insanely busy schedule as dean just to go see him… that’s not something she does for everyone.

Last week, after dropping off materials for me, she headed to see Mamono-kun.
The week before that too. And the week before that.
At this rate, I bet she’s going again next week.

I figured she was just going to help him out, since he seems to be going through a rough time right now.

But something feels off. She even takes the time to appear in humanoid form when visiting him.
I mean, sure, she always turned into a weasel just to visit me, so maybe that’s nothing…
Still… hmm…

Something about her actions feels like she’s giving Mamono-kun special treatment.

Maybe she just thinks that highly of him.
Or… could it be—she’s promoted him to the rank above “friend”… the rare and mighty “best friend”!?

Yeah, that’s totally possible. With her social skills, it could definitely happen…!

I was genuinely impressed.

The professor’s amazing. What took me three years, she zoomed through in just three weeks. Her ability to build relationships is off the charts.

And yet, even she failed at marriage. That’s terrifying.

If someone like her couldn’t make marriage work, it’s probably going to take me like ten thousand years to marry Hiyori.

…No, wait! I mean, I don’t even know if we’re going to get married!

We haven’t even been dating for half a year yet…!

Overwhelmed by my own delusions and cringing at myself, I stood there at the entrance making all kinds of faces, until Mokutan spotted me, looking puzzled. I gave her a piggyback ride and went out for a walk.

Gotta cool my cheeks a bit before I go back to Hiyori.

If she can make my heart race just by showing up in my imagination, then she really is one dangerous woman.

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