5. Magic Recharge (5)

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The watery-blue umbrella that had appeared in my hand before I knew it naturally vanished with the passage of time.

It was rather like a patch of water that had soaked into the dirt on a summer day disappearing without a trace moments later.

The dark clouds that had gathered in an instant also cleared away, and soon the familiar sunlight began shining down before me.

The paralyzed road was the same.

The vehicles that had stopped in a tangled mess began moving again with creaking tires, taking turns as they should.

That was thanks to someone in the distance, who was busily directing traffic with hand signals.

The people who had frozen in front of the monster now hurried along, each tapping away at their smartphones.

The clicking sounds of camera shutters also began coming from here and there.

"…Hmm."

That was it.

Perhaps because it was a sight anyone could only interpret as magic, no one in particular was left floundering.

They accepted it as that thing they'd seen on YouTube, took a few commemorative photos, and went their separate ways back to their daily lives.

I wasn't much different, so after briefly catching my breath, I headed straight for Neria's apartment next door.

― Ding-dong

If I had Lady Erzel's contact information, I would have at least sent her a message of thanks.

For now, I regretted that we'd parted after I'd done nothing but endure her lewd harassment.

Since things had turned out this way, perhaps I should ask Neria to convey my thanks….

…No. Given Neria's personality, she would obviously hate it and ask whether I was using her like a DM.

But keeping my mouth shut about it also pricked my conscience.

I suppose I'll have no choice but to tell her the next time I happen to run into her.

Just as I reached a tentative conclusion, the front door opened at the perfect moment.

"…You're here?"

"Good morning, Neria-nim."

The one peeking her head out was Neria, no different from usual.

Neria, well-fed and doing well, her complexion healthy, wearing a T-shirt beneath the same jet-black tracksuit of an unemployed bum she always wore.

If there was anything special about her, it was that she hadn't bothered zipping up her tracksuit today.

I let my gaze skim over the dark shadow beneath Neria's prominently rounded breasts, then looked away.

Well, it probably wasn't because she'd suddenly become capricious.

Wasn't it because today was the day she was letting me touch her breasts?

I didn't think about it deeply.

"Fortunately, it looks like you weren't hurt anywhere?"

"Huh? Ah, yes."

"I'm asking because the emergency alert came earlier. …Wouldn't I have received one, too?"

"…That's true."

"So damn noisy while I was gaming…."

I suppose that, to a witch who had no need for warnings, it was merely an occasional bout of bothersome noise.

The human equivalent would be the sound of the people next door moving out, perhaps.

Mulling over that silly thought, I stepped inside the entrance.

"…Well, it can't be helped."

"……?"

At that moment, Neria muttered with both fists planted firmly on her hips.

I wanted to ask her to move aside so I could pass, but the atmosphere was so strange that I couldn't.

I merely closed the open front door carefully and tilted my head.

Perhaps my bafflement was frustrating to watch, because Neria brought one fist to her mouth, cleared her throat with ahem, and added an explanation.

"Because it can't be helped. Yeah. It can't be helped that it can't be helped."

But what she said next was equally incomprehensible.

I wondered if there was something wrong with my reading comprehension, but no matter how I turned it over in my mind, I still couldn't understand it.

Besides, Korean had been one of those incredibly useful subjects that guaranteed me a score of at least ninety even when I hadn't studied throughout my school years.

There was little chance that the problem lay with my abilities….

The more likely culprit was Neria, standing there so majestically.

"Um, Neria-nim?"

"Yeah?"

"May I ask what you're talking about?"

"……Hm?"

When I asked her directly, a look that seemed to say What? shot through her narrowed eyes.

"What do you mean, what am I talking about? You ran into a monster just out there, didn't you? It happened at the time you usually come home, too!"

"I did."

"Then you saw the rain pouring down from the sky, right? Don't tell me you didn't see it?"

"I-I did."

"And you saw the monster turn into something like ice cream soaked in water because it wasn't ordinary rain?"

"…I happened to be near the monster, so yes, I saw it."

"What? You saw everything. Why are you asking me?"

"……?"

Thinking about it, it was definitely strange.

Neria, who must have been playing games at that time, knew what had just happened in surprising detail.

I could force a ridiculous theory that, as a witch, she had used some kind of magic to watch the scene from the beginning.

But the more natural and concise explanation was—

"Don't tell me you thought that just now was Master's magic?"

"……"

If the shower I'd just seen had been Neria's magic,

everything fell neatly into place.

"Hey, Nam Dowon. Master is much stronger than me, you know? How could you confuse us?"

"S-sorry. I still don't really know things like the levels of magic…?"

"Besides, I'm the only water witch in this era who mainly deals with rain, which is such a hassle to control. It's my 'personal,' so there was no way you could confuse it…. Tsk…."

"It's just that, since I don't know much about magic either, I made a mistake…."

"Enough! I know! How would a human like you know? You could have gotten confused! I never specifically explained it to you, either!"

"……"

Her words were harsh, but her tone at least conveyed that she understood.

Yet Neria grumbled with the implication that, unlike her reason, her mood wasn't cooperating.

She had crossed her arms beneath her breasts and was staring at me by then, and she continued in a slightly sulky voice.

"…I was going to try sex once since I'd used up my magic power anyway……"

She spoke quietly, as befitted someone who was sulking.

So quietly.

So quietly that even I, standing right in front of her, could barely make out what she was saying.

In a tiny voice.

"I just won't have sex. As for the magic power I used today, it'll recharge in two years? Three at most. Mm-hmm. Not doing it, not doing it, not doing it…."

"Neria-nim…."

"Yeah, absolutely not. I didn't particularly want to anyway. I only thought maybe I'd try since the opportunity happened to come up."

"Ah…."

God, please.

Don't let this opportunity go to waste in a way like this….

While that thought crossed my mind, soothing Neria, who had properly worked herself into a sulk, was more urgent than blaming myself.

It would be a much bigger disaster if the relationship we'd built over several days collapsed than if I missed out on sex today.

Flustered as I dealt with the sulking Neria, I first forced out something I thought she might like to hear.

"I'm sorry, Neria-nim. …The magic was just so spectacular that I naturally assumed it was Lady Erzel's magic…."

"……Hmph."

Neria answered my flattering words with a derisive snort.

Fortunately, she didn't immediately turn around and stride back into her room.

Whatever the reason, it seemed she wasn't unwilling to hear even what I had to say.

Relieved that it was at least something, I finally took off my shoes.

"Besides, Neria-nim, you must treat your magic power incredibly preciously, so I couldn't even imagine you casting such a flashy grand spell."

"…It wasn't even a grand spell. Just a normal attack with a little sincerity behind it."

"You didn't just make a sudden shower—you even gave each person an umbrella, too!"

"…I-it's nothing. If it were a spell that flooded the entire neighborhood, maybe, but I only manipulated a little water around there."

"It was awfully flashy for something you call nothing…."

"…That's only natural. Water witches are a somewhat prestigious line, you know. The magic itself is pretty, too. There are only three apprentice witches Master has ever chosen, including me."

"Is that so?"

"There are surnames used by nearly twenty people, too. Heca is a fairly special surname, all things considered."

"Ah…."

Had my flattery worked a little?

I couldn't say for certain.

She didn't look upset, but she hadn't completely cheered up, either. It was an ambiguous sort of mood….

Well, if her mood changed that wildly, I'd have to suspect bipolar disorder first.

I should be grateful for this much.

Then perhaps I should go back to repeating my apologies until she got sick of hearing them.

Or would it be better to keep my mouth shut for a while and observe the situation….

Just as I was developing a headache from the excessive mental strain,

"……Huh?"

The smartphone in Neria's tracksuit pocket began to vibrate,

drawing my gaze toward it.

"…Hello, Master?"

- Oh my, my Neria. I just heard the news. They say a sudden shower wiped out a monster.

"Ah…."

- Looks like you used magic for the first time in a while?

"…Yes. It happened to be right in front of our house…."

- Really? Because it was in front of your house?

"……Yes."

- Hmm~….

It was Erzel's voice.

At the same time, Neria kept glancing at me while repeatedly pressing the volume buttons on her smartphone.

I couldn't clearly tell whether she was trying to lower or raise the volume since I couldn't see very well,

but Erzel's voice that came next made it clear which one it was.

- Honestly, that was a monster that happened to show up at just the right time to use as an excuse for sex….

She was raising the volume.

…Judging by how Neria abruptly hung up the call,

it seemed she'd meant to lower it.

"……"

"……"

And apparently finding that highly amusing, Erzel called Neria once again.

"……Hello."

Rather than avoid the call, Neria answered politely and fiddled with the volume-up button again.

This time, she was probably trying to lower it properly.

At the same time, she poked my body with one foot, apparently telling me to move away and not eavesdrop.

I wanted to hear more of the conversation between master and apprentice, but unfortunately, Neria was closer to me than Erzel was.

If I didn't want to get in serious trouble, it was probably best to obey quietly.

I obediently stood up after being pushed away and, while I was at it, simply faced the wall.

I thought that might help Neria calm down a little.

"Hey. Nam Dowon."

That went on for about five seconds.

Neria approached me again and held her smartphone out toward me.

"Take it. Master says she has something to tell you."

"……"

"Hurry."

"…O-okay."

Neria's cheeks were flushed, completely unlike how they'd looked five seconds earlier.

…Even the fingertips handing me the smartphone seemed to be trembling faintly.

I couldn't bring myself to ask her directly what was wrong.

"I'm on the phone now, Lady Erzel."

- Oh my, Mr. Dowon. It's been a while. Have you been well?

"Yes. Thank you for your concern."

- Hehe. Your voice is handsome too, which is nice…, …anyway, I was thinking of giving you some homework~

"Homework…?"

Fortunately, I soon no longer needed to ask Neria why.

- I'm planning to check Neria's hymen myself later, so would you make sure to break it properly this time?

"……"

Even with Neria loudly sighing beside me,

I could hear every word clearly without missing a single one.

Distinctly.

Erzel had told me the reason.