Chapter 74: The Witch’s Return

Studying magic script was difficult, but by the time the thick reference materials I used as textbooks had worn out and become frayed at the edges, I had reached a “decent” level.

Now, I could write my own poems in magic language. My vocabulary is limited, and I only understand basic grammar, so I can’t use complex phrasing or emotionally rich expressions. But even though they might resemble the awkward compositions of a first-grade student, they are still poems.

Since the Gremlin disaster, all magic brought to Earth can be activated by reciting words in the magic language. According to the “Anonymous Epic Hypothesis,” the incantations necessary for activating magic are all excerpts from one long epic poem.

If excerpts from the epic hold magic power, then it seems logical that my original poems would contain some level of power as well. However, that is not the case.

I learned firsthand after writing and reciting several original poems that the magic language itself holds no magic power. The only words that trigger any effect when recited are the excerpts taken from the Anonymous Epic (alternate incantations, which use different words to express the same content, are like typographical variations). Reciting my original poems only results in a mildly embarrassing effect.

It seems more likely that the magic power resides in the original Anonymous Epic itself, and by extracting its excerpts, that power is drawn out, borrowed, awakened, or referenced.

However, as Professor Hinata or perhaps Hiyori once explained, magic language is a language structured by assigning meanings to sounds that inherently possess magic significance.

The cries of monsters when they use magic are precisely those “magically significant sounds,” and their cries can be considered the most primitive form of magic language.

The Anonymous Epic is built upon the cries of monsters, which were developed into a highly structured language.

If one could analyze the development process of the language used in the Anonymous Epic and fully understand the principles behind it, it might not be impossible to create a version of magic language suitable for Earthlings from scratch.

Well, the academic stuff will likely be researched by the magic university. I’m not an academic, but a technical person, so my interest lies more in how to apply research to my work.

Recently, I’ve been getting really into experimenting with the size and font of magic script.

Magic scripts can be designed in a wide range of sizes. The maximum size is unknown, but according to some American research, there was no problem even with magic runes that were 4 yards per character in size.

On the other hand, the minimum size is around the size used in letters. If it’s any smaller, there are issues.

If the scripts are too small, the flow of magic energy as it traces the runes becomes disrupted, leading to increased magical consumption, failed spells, or warped runes that can’t be used.

At my level, I can precisely copy the text displayed on a Möbius strip and scale it down to a size of 2mm. However, anything smaller than that is impossible. When I tested runes carved with a size of 0.1mm on the Spider Witch, the runes melted and warped into a shapeless mess.

From my experience, the issue seems to be a fundamental limit on the size of the runes rather than a problem with the precision of writing.

Well, even if I carved magic script into a staff, it would look like nothing more than dirt if they were tiny. Magic scripts look best when they’re large enough to be recognized as scripts.

One evening, while continuing to study and play with magic runes, I was enjoying a leisurely time, thanks to the Spider Witch, who had been pampering me by doing all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

The Spider Witch has a magnificent and impressive physique, so sadly, she can’t enter my house. But the decoy can.

The decoy is mostly responsible for handling inquiries for people who need something from me or the Spider Witch in Ome City, but she also helped take care of me, coming over early in the morning and after work to assist me.

Watching the decoy, in a different hairstyle and hair color than Hiyori, wearing an apron and making miso soup in the kitchen, I felt like I had hired a housekeeper.

Before the Gremlin disaster, housekeeper services were all the rage. I could never understand why anyone would let a complete stranger into their house just to do chores—more understandable than letting a cockroach in—but it turns out, having a trusted friend help out is actually quite comfortable.

As I carved the handle of a prototype magic staff that incorporated magic scripts, I caught sight of two streaks of gold falling outside the dark window.

“Huh? …Whoa!? It’s Hiyori and the professor!”

I placed the staff handle on the workbench and dashed outside to the backyard.

Running outside in my slippers, I saw Hiyori standing there with the Stoat, who was swaying weakly, almost fainting from magic depletion. Before I could say anything to the two, Hiyori tackled me with a huge smile.

“Dairi!!”

“Ah? Oh, it’s been a while. Your hair’s a little longer now.”

She hugged me tightly, but it wasn’t tight enough to be uncomfortable, so I patted her on the back.

We hadn’t seen each other in about four or five months, so it felt like a bit much to express such an exaggerated reaction. Maybe it’s because she’s picked up some of that American-style emotional expression.

As I combed Hiyori’s long black hair with my hand, she pressed her face against my chest, but then suddenly stopped.

She pulled back and looked at my chest with a completely emotionless expression, like a Noh mask.

Huh? What’s going on? What emotion is that? This is kinda scary.

“Hiyori, mask, mask. Please put on a mask. This is creepy.”

“Hey, what’s this necklace? The scent of the sea, scales from the mermaid witch, a braid made of golden hair… Hey, Spider Witch! Come out and explain this! What’s going on here?!”

When Hiyori shouted, there was a clattering sound from inside the house as if dishes had fallen.

Hiyori grabbed my hand firmly and dragged me inside, where we found the decoy, having removed her apron and was trying to sneak out the back door.

“Huh? Another one of Dairi’s? No, it’s the decoy?! My face?! Huh? What… huhhhhh?! Ooooohhh, you!!!”

“Wait, wait, Blue Witch. Let me explain. Calm down…”

“What?! You used my appearance to… to flirt with Dairi, while I was struggling?! You—what?!”

“Wait, it wasn’t like that. I asked Dairi to carve me into a non-scary appearance because I was worried about scaring him. And Dairi said, ‘Leave it to me, I’ll make you the world’s most beautiful girl,’ and that’s how it ended up like this…”

“Alright, I’ll hear your last words before I destroy you… Wait, huh?”

“The carving of the world’s most beautiful girl is this one. It wasn’t because of any ulterior motive. I swear on my blood…”

“…the world’s most beautiful girl…?”

Hiyori awkwardly repeated her words, her eyes filled with the image of the fake bait that looked just like her, frozen in a pose as if she were about to strike, with her fist raised. Despite having resistance to freezing.

The destructive god that had descended upon Okutama was now calm, so I pried her fingers off one by one from my hand and observed both Hiyori and the fake bait from the side.

When I placed my hand on my chin and examined them closely, I had to admit, they really did look alike.

Hmm…

I’ve never been able to distinguish between women who are considered beautiful because they all looked the same, but perhaps now my aesthetic sense has improved and I can tell the difference. As a craftsman, I’m proud of that.

“Um, Blue Witch, can you hear me? Last month, during the flood, the Mermaid Witch got lost and was severely injured, so Dairi performed emergency surgery…”

“…”

“I only got this necklace as a thank-you, there was nothing else. This is the truth, sworn on my blood.”

“…”

“Hey, are you okay…? Can you say something…?”

“The most beautiful girl in the world.”

“Ah… the Blue Witch is broken…”

The fake bait poked at Hiyori’s cheek, but there was no response.

I crossed my arms and nodded. Yeah, this happens to Hiyori sometimes. She’s such a strange girl.

“Well, you know, whenever I praise her, she sometimes does this. Though she does it even if I don’t praise her, so the pattern is unclear.”

“You’re lying… Even if you don’t mean to praise, you’re praising me. As for me, I’ll deliver the fake bait and Professor Ohinata, who was wandering around in the backyard, to the city. You two enjoy yourselves…”

The fake bait quietly left through the back door.

I watched her leave and scratched my head. Well, even if she says “enjoy yourselves,” what am I supposed to do?

Well, since the Blue Witch has returned to Japan, maybe we can eat something and talk about the Demon King. I know she won, but I still don’t know how she won, so I guess I need to ask.

“Hiyori, are you going to eat? Hey, Hiyori?”

“Mm… Ah, I am the world’s most beautiful girl. What’s up?”

“Oh, you’re back. No, wait, you’re not back. What’s up with you? Saying things like ‘the sky is blue.'”

Has her language center gone crazy? I don’t want to perform surgery on Hiyori’s brain.

I added the finishing touches to the dinner that the Spider Witch had mostly prepared and sat down to eat with Hiyori for the first time in a while.

However, no matter how much I tried to bring up the Demon King, Hiyori was absent-minded, fidgeting nervously and acting uneasy.

It was no use trying to have a conversation, so I told her to eat and rest, and I went for the first bath. After drying my hair with a towel, I returned.

When I tried to give Hiyori permission for the second bath, the exhausted witch had taken over my bed and fallen asleep.

“Suu suu”

“…?”

Something about her breathing was odd. It was too regular, or maybe it seemed stiff.

I couldn’t quite place it, but waking her up and forcing her into the bath felt wrong.

She must be tired from defeating the Demon King.

Well, it’s fine. I’ll let her sleep in the bed today. I’m a considerate guy after all.

I quietly laid a summer blanket over Hiyori, who was dressed lightly, so as not to wake her. I brushed her hair off her face, turned off the lamp, and left the room. I sprawled on the couch in the living room to rest.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t seen her in months, or maybe it was just that she had stayed here before, but for some reason, my chest felt uneasy. I couldn’t stop thinking about Hiyori, who was sleeping in the bed.

I shut my eyes tightly, trying to push away the confusing and vague feelings that filled my mind.

Good night, Hiyori. Tomorrow, tell me all about the Demon King.

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