“Well, if we find out that what’s falling from the tree is mana… what does that mean?”
In contrast to me, who was happy that the proof was completed, Theo looked very troubled. It’s a moving scene for him personally, but he doesn’t seem to be able to keep up with it. …Come to think of it, how much did I explain to Theo?
“In other words, this lens can see magical power and high concentrations of mana. In that case, the blockage that was in Theo’s body when you started demonization is not necessarily a blockage of magical power. It also serves as proof. It’s possible that mana that can’t be converted into magical power has entered the body, and that’s blocking the flow of magical power.”
“Is there any mana that can’t be turned into magic?”
“We’ll have to investigate that from now on. Maybe the magic has changed and became a blockage, so we can’t say that this is correct yet. We’ve made a hypothesis and have to conduct various experiments to see if it’s correct. If you don’t do it, you won’t get the answer. Is this experiment an experiment for the sake of an experiment?”
In order to prove a certain thing, it is often necessary to carry out preliminary experiments. But there are no such classes in the knighthood department, and I doubt they will do so even after they actually start working. So it can’t be helped if he doesn’t get what I’m doing.
I’m sorry that I’m the only one enjoying it.
“What these trees emit as mana is whether they emit more mana near the maga, or whether it changes depending on the type of tree, or whether it changes depending on the altitude. I’d like to study it, but I can’t do it in one day today, so I’ll have to go into the mountains again and again to investigate.”
“Many times…”
“Yeah. As my grandfather always tells me, it’s not good to make assumptions. If you give an answer based on a small sample, there’s a possibility that that small sample is an exception. We need to confirm it thoroughly. And if plants are the reason why the mountains are holding back the effects of the maga, we might be able to find a way to slow down the progress of the maga.”
And if it can be delayed, a method of purification may be found.
This discovery alone makes my dream come true. As expected, gathering materials for the glasses is an urgent task. These glasses are very useful.
“But there seems to be a difference in how much mana is absorbed depending on the type of plant.”
When I put on the glasses, the world became red and sparkling again. Some of the mana passing through the tree is thick, while others are thin. The same goes for the grass under my feet. Trees basically absorb more water than weeds, but it takes many years for trees to grow this big. If this is the case, weeds that sprout and grow within a few days may be better suited for research on how to suppress maga.
“Hey. Are you going to do such a difficult research by yourself?”
“Yeah. It’ll probably take some time since I’m alone. As Grandpa also told me, this research will probably be disliked by the temple. So I don’t think I can involve others until the research has progressed considerably.”
Once the proof is almost complete and I am at the stage where I can try purifying the maga, I plan to spread the word, starting with the nearby countryside. Wouldn’t it be possible to spread the word successfully by using the network that my grandfather had?
Until then, I’ll just be steadily solving questions one by one and formulating hypotheses.
“Isn’t that too difficult and dangerous? I don’t know how difficult it is, but everything you have to investigate is on this dangerous mountain, right? You’re going to go there alone many times. Will you be okay?”
“I won’t overdo it. There’s no point in rushing, and if my father asks me to work on collecting materials or take care of my grandfather, I’ll give priority to that. However, my father has given me a year to think about the future, so during that time, I would like to advance this research a little further.”
This year is a period of discernment, so I won’t be working too hard, so I’ll have more time for myself. Theo thinks it’s dangerous because he was attacked by a giant bee on this mountain, but I’ve been here many times with my father since I was little, and now I also do collection by myself.
If I don’t overdo it, the risk level will be lowered.
I walk up the mountain while talking to Theo. As I was walking, I thought that the red glitter was darker in the direction of the maga, but after a while I stopped.
“Sorry, Theo. Can I take a break?”
“Are you okay? You look pale?”
Normally I would have felt hot from moving, but I felt nauseous and sick. After taking off the glasses and putting them in their case, I took out an insect repellent magic tool from my bag and activated it.
“Sorry. These glasses are harder on the eyes than I thought.”
These glasses basically exist only to see magical power, so they are only worn temporarily when examining patients who have been attacked by monsters, and are not worn all the time. Furthermore, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a phenomenon where sparkling red mana is constantly falling from above.
This was my first time walking around wearing the glasses, so I didn’t know it would make me feel so bad.
“Ugh. I have a headache.”
I should have noticed it sooner, but unfortunately, there were so many interesting things that I ended up misjudging the limits.
“Maybe you should lie down for a little while.”
“Hmm. Sorry, I’m sorry, but I’ll do it. Insect-type monsters won’t come near me if I have this magic tool, but other monsters aren’t affected, so if I don’t notice, please do.”
I activated an insect repellent, so even if I lay on the ground, insects won’t climb onto my body. I lay down in a slightly open area using my bag as a pillow, but the next moment my body floated up and I opened my eyes in a panic.
“Eh? What?”
“Use my knee as a pillow. You should get some rest.”
“No. If you do that, you won’t be able to move right away, right?”
If my head was on his lap when a monster appeared, it would be difficult for him to move.
“I’ve strengthened my hearing so I can notice it sooner than usual, so it’s okay. It won’t be very comfortable, but it’ll be better than a bag, and the contents of the bag won’t get crushed, right?”
I’m thankful that my bag doesn’t get crushed since it contains a lot of important things, but I feel sorry for borrowing his lap. However, my head hurts and I feel uncomfortable, making it difficult for me to move my body on my own, so I end up lying on his knees.
The slightly hard pillow makes me feel uncomfortable. It’s embarrassing to look at Theo, and honestly, it hurts to keep my eyes open, so I lie down and close my eyes. But I can’t calm down because of the human body temperature.
“…Theo is also able to strengthen his hearing, which is amazing.”
“Since I was small, I had to strengthen my body so I wouldn’t lose to those around me.”
Come to think of it, it’s big now, but he said it was small in the past.
“You’re a hard worker, aren’t you?”
Strengthening your body is through repeated practice. Acquiring it requires extraordinary effort. And even more so when it comes to hearing.
“That goes for Amelia, too, right?”
“……is it?”
I was thinking of saying it was for my own sake, but Theo’s reasons are similar to mine. It’s probably not a good idea to say anything too condescending.
“I’m worried that Amelia is going to overdo it.”
“…This was my first time wearing the glasses to observe the mountain, so I just made a mistake using them.”
I didn’t know what would happen if I continued to wear the glasses, so I couldn’t take any precautions. I definitely should have been more careful since I was doing this for the first time.
“You’re glad you’re not alone, aren’t you?”
“I’m grateful Theo was here, but I would have been a little more careful if I was alone.”
If I had had to deal with everything by myself, I think I would have been a little more careful. This time I felt a little relaxed because Theo was there.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“…Ah. It’s not a problem since it’s far away from here, but it looks like something got caught in the monster spider’s web. I wonder what the threads of a spider’s web look like when you look through the glasses.”
“What? What is that? I should see-”
When I opened my eyes and tried to raise my head, Theo held my forehead in place without asking.
“You’d do that even if you aren’t feeling well, right? Get some sleep.”
“……Yeesss”
It’s my fault now, but I think Theo is being mean when he purposely says things that interest me.
Thinking that I had hit the nail on the head, I leaned back and closed my eyes once again.
The famous lap pillow has appeared!
Sorry for the missed chapter last week. Next chapter will be posted in 2 days.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!
