TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: none

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Elia didn't really understand magic.

As a complete beginner who hadn't even mastered Maronius language yet, that was natural.

Still, she could tell there was a clear difference in how Ian and Demonite viewed mysteries.

'Demonite thought Ian's magic was fascinating.'

Was it because Ian handled such unusual magic?

'Well... can't deny that.'

Ian's magic was unusual indeed.

But what had surprised Demonite wasn't Ian's unique magical abilities.

It was his bold attitude of being willing to sacrifice control for the sake of communicating with mysteries.

"Excellent! Ian! Show us what you can do!"

Demonite shouted.

Ian barely acknowledged him.

I was going to do that anyway, Professor.

Ian accepted Henry's soul.

Spirit possession - a common necromancer's trick.

Ian completely handed over control of his body to Henry.

A potentially dangerous gamble.

But Ian trusted Sephina's sincerity.

She would accept anything Henry did.

That's why Ian could stay calm even when Henry suddenly flipped over the table.

"Arghhhh!"

"???"

Of course, Ian was the only calm one.

"P-Professor! I think Ian's gone crazy?!"

"Hmm... the necromancy might have gone wrong. But let's trust him and wait."

"But...!"

"Would Ian make such a mistake in this situation?"

Though Ian's state seemed strange...

Elia and Demonite decided to trust him.

They stayed still even when Ian drew a knife.

"Fucking place! Fucking giant house!"

"..."

Ian pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the sandbag.

When the giant sandbag they used as a sofa burst, the house started turning into chaos.

"[S-sis. Shouldn't we stop him?!]"

Sephius stared at Ian in disbelief.

What the hell...he said he'd let them talk...

But suddenly trashing the house - what was the point of this?!

"Kyaaaah! Ptooey!"

Ian's rampage didn't stop.

Trashing the house, spitting on the floor, flipping tables...

Sephius and Elia shouted almost simultaneously:

"Stop him!"

"[Stop him!]"

But...

Demonite kept watching Ian with a calm gaze.

'Sephina is reacting.'

The house's owner Sephina was reacting to Ian's rampage.

Her reaction was...

"[Ah... Henry...!]"

"???"

"[You really came back!]"

"[?!]"

Surprisingly, it was joy!

"[You're back! Henry! It really is you!]"

"Fuck you!"

"[That cursing! The way you punch holes in the sofa! The expression when you spit on the floor...!]"

Hot tears flowed down Sephina's fierce face.

"[Sniff... Henry...!]"

"[...]"

Sephius was dumbfounded by his sister's reaction.

Being moved by a human trashing their house?!

Just how did she raise him normally?

Though Sephius couldn't understand, there must have been certain emotional trigger points in Ian's chaotic actions that only Sephina could recognize.

"...Someone watching might think she's crying because Ian destroyed the house."

"Well. That's not wrong."

Elia and Demonite were just as bewildered.

But one thing was clear.

Sephina loved Henry enough to endure any chaos he caused.

After venting, Henry glared at Sephina while panting.

Then spoke:

"[It's me. You fucking bitch.]"

[...]

Ian seriously debated whether he should pronounce that exactly.

Maybe giving the spirit 100% control was a bit much?

'Ah, whatever.'

But he didn't want to go back on his decision.

Ian spat the curse right at Sephina.

"[Henry?! Henry! Is it you?]"

"[Yeah. You fucking giant bitch.]"

"[...]"

Sephina's expression darkened hearing Henry's curses.

Ian sensed it.

Sephina likely knew Henry didn't particularly like her.

Yet she hadn't given up raising him.

Because of her own selfish desire.

"[You could have loosened your grip sometimes. You could have pretended not to see when I tried to escape. So why did you never let me go?]"

"[Th-that's... outside the village is dangerous! If you met a volcano giant...]"

"[Fuck off! No, you literally fucked me up! You castrated me and just kept me 'alive'. Yeah, thanks to you I lived to 90. But what the fuck was the point?!]"

"[...]"

"[You should be sorry. Just because you fed me tasteless health food and never let me outside doesn't mean you 'protected' me!]"

Sephina couldn't speak.

She was clearly quite shocked.

Ian asked Henry's soul.

[Are you finished?]

[Yeah. I have more to say but... seems pointless.]

Ian asked once more.

[Why? You won't get another chance like this. Just say what you want to say?]

Henry's soul paused then spoke.

[It'd just be more cursing. Anger and anger and anger and anger...]

Ian smiled wryly.

[Strange. If you had so much built up, why not just stab her with the knife? Instead of just stabbing the sandbag?]

[...]

[Shall I guess why you won't curse anymore?]

[...What is it.]

[Because you don't want to see Sephina sad... right?]

Henry exploded at Ian's words.

...Because it hit the mark.

[Fuck, what are you trying to say!]

[Nothing. I was just curious about your true feelings.]

[...Yeah, fine. I hate Sephina, that damn giant! But...]

Henry said irritably.

[I ended up caring about her despite hating her... I must be crazy.]

Ian nodded.

He understood why Henry had hidden those final words.

[You were protecting your pride.]

Though he'd been raised by a giant his whole life.

If there were painful parts, there must have been happy parts too.

He wasn't abused, just raised differently.

Henry wouldn't want to admit that part.

Henry grumbled.

[No? I'm getting revenge?]

[Revenge?]

[Seeing that giant suffer makes me feel good. I want her to suffer more.]

That was why he'd hidden his final feelings.

[Well... maybe I'll talk to her when we meet in heaven.]

Ian smiled as memories of his past life surfaced.

If Sephina really died and met Henry again...

Wouldn't it be the dead pet human welcoming the giant?

'She'll probably love that story.'

Henry's soul departed.

When Ian opened his eyes again, he first saw the two giants.

Sephina crying, and Sephius comforting her.

#

"[I want to apologize to Henry.]"

After the necromancy, Sephina sought Ian's wisdom.

Having learned Henry hadn't loved her, she couldn't just let it be.

Ian gave a textbook answer.

"[I don't have the answer.]"

"[But...]"

"[But the Sky God knows.]"

"[The Sky God?]"

What do you do when your head hurts?

Hide behind the shield of religion.

Ian quickly escaped by bringing up Heaven's Faith.

Since he'd only started this because of Demonite's request, he hadn't planned on dealing with the aftermath.

The power of Heaven's Faith could comfort Sephina's tired soul.

"[Submit to the great Sky and pray for Henry's soul.]"

"[...Alright. If that can atone.]"

Sephina emerged from her chronic depression.

Though it was slightly problematic that she was now filled with religious fervor instead.

"[Chief. I'll build a small house near the human village and live there.]"

"[...Really? Is that your decision?]"

Sephina nodded.

She wanted to regularly meet with priests and talk.

Her wish was to spend her remaining life watching and understanding humans.

"[Very well. I trust you'll manage.]"

"[Thank you, Chief.]"

"[But if things get hard, come back to the village anytime. You'll always be welcome, Sephina.]"

#

Ian finished preparing to return to the village with the children.

Demonite casually approached and spoke.

"That was fascinating magic."

"But ultimately failed magic."

Sephina had thanked Ian.

She was grateful he'd let her meet dead Henry again.

"Why do you think that?"

"If I'd lied, I could have gained more."

Ian spoke honestly.

If he'd used his specialty of wizard behavior (trickery), he might have gained more.

But Ian hadn't deceived Sephina.

"Oh ho. Then why didn't you lie?"

"I thought it would be meaningless."

Ian lifted his head to look at the sky.

The same sky he'd seen in Maronius's memory world.

Maronius had made a decision he regretted his whole life because of a minor misunderstanding.

Sephina too was regretting not understanding the heart of her companion-human of many years.

Communication was this difficult.

That's why this time, Ian hadn't wanted to profit from misunderstandings and misconceptions.

That's why he'd shown Sephina the truth.

"Ian... you're truly an upright wizard."

Demonite said.

"Do you know who benefits most when the world becomes chaotic? When communication becomes difficult and misunderstandings and lies overflow?"

"...Wizards, I suppose."

"Correct. Wizards have the wisdom to distinguish truth from lies. Using that wisdom, profiting from gaps of misunderstanding is nothing."

Ian reflexively thought of and spoke a word.

"Black wizards."

They were the ones who wished for the world to become chaotic.

The more difficult things became, the more valuable they would become.

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