Mana Supply Scroll

Mana Supply Scroll

"Well then, allow me to explain the 'disposable Mana Pack' I'm developing."

"Wooo!"

"Hear, hear!"

"...What is this?"

We moved to the living room, where Riko-senpai and Miyu-san sat in chairs and applauded me as I stood at the seat of honor.

Actually, where did you even learn that, Miyu-san? Oh, the culprit was nearby.

"Not that there's really enough to explain..."

"Shut up. We'll be the ones to decide that."

"I suspect Kota-san tends to underestimate his own research results."

"It's not research... It's half a hobby project..."

I was happy to have my work appreciated, but I still wasn't satisfied with being treated like this.

Still, resisting for no good reason would only be a hassle, so I went along with it.

"What I'm making is a 'scroll that stores mana and releases it whenever desired.'"

"Oh, oh. Is that based on your scroll-making knowledge too?"

"Partly. But, to begin with, a scroll has a spell requiring '5' mana written into it beforehand, then activated using '1' mana."

"Uh-huh."

"The mana used to activate it is merely a lure... or rather, a trigger. The mana itself is already stored inside the scroll."

"Well, it would be weird if it weren't."

"I've heard that scrolls become unusable if they're stored for too long."

"Yeah. If mine are left alone, their internal mana will probably eventually dissolve into the mana in the atmosphere. But even so, they can store it for a reasonable amount of time, right?"

The scroll I made today would probably be unusable in about ten years. There was basically nothing eternal in this world.

But if it worked now, that was all that mattered.

"So I thought, instead of writing a spell on the scroll, I could write in a 'path' that mana flows through easily... Maybe."

"I kind of understand the theory. Kind of."

"How far along is your research?"

"I've only succeeded in writing it onto the mana-infused paper I made before."

"I see... Sorry, could you say that one more time?"

"I've only engraved it on the paper I made before that can't be mass-produced. I haven't tried it on the paper that can be mass-produced yet."

"...Understood."

Miyu-san's silence was frightening. What? Had I said something that upset her...?

Cold sweat trickled down my back, but I pulled myself together and took the actual item from my pocket.

"This is the mana supply scroll."

I took out the scroll, unrolled it, and placed it on the desk.

The two of them examined its contents and furrowed their brows.

"Huh? What's this, an electrocardiogram?"

"It doesn't look like writing..."

"Well, it's less writing than an imitation of the path mana takes in a human body."

"...Huh?"

Miyu-san looked at me as if to say, What the hell is he talking about?

What? Why?

"Oh, that thing. But was it really this simple? Wasn't it more complicated?"

See? Riko-senpai seemed to get it just fine.

Miyu-san's gaze shifted toward her this time. Her mouth was hanging half-open, but should I point that out?

"Yes. But the human version has all sorts of complications, like safety valves... So once those are removed and it's simplified even further, it looks like this."

"Huh. Well, safety devices are certainly necessary. Otherwise, magic tools would explode the moment you picked them up. Wait, does that mean this is with all the safety devices removed?"

"Yes. So it needs to be handled carefully."

In that sense too, it was incomplete. It had absolutely no safety features.

"...Excuse me. May I ask a question?"

"Yes, Miyu-san."

Miyu-san raised one hand slightly, so I nodded and encouraged her to continue.

"First, what do you mean by the path mana flows through...?"

"Huh? You haven't seen it... but haven't you ever felt it? You know, when you deploy 'Spirit Armor' or activate an ability, mana moves, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. You can't really perceive it clearly, and it's only for an instant, though."

"I agree that it's hard to notice unless you're conscious of it. Even I only saw its specific shape after staring intently at my hands while writing scrolls out of habit."

"...I understand. I accept that such a thing exists."

Miyu-san seemed strangely hesitant.

Maybe it was a sensation that was difficult for anyone without a magic-type ability to understand.

"Anyway, the mana in this scroll is stored in a state where it's easy to release. After that, you just have to bring it into direct contact with another scroll or magic tool, or connect them through Spirit Wood, and the mana will flow into it."

"That sounds easier than I expected."

"Ea... sier...?"

"Well, I want to mass-produce them eventually. Simple is better, isn't it?"

"Sim... ple...?"

Miyu-san was clutching her head.

I mean, it really is just one line, you know? That's all that's drawn on this scroll. It merely wavers according to a certain pattern.

"So, 'simple is best.' Got it."

"Exactly. I was planning to share this after I'd gotten it closer to the practical stage, though..."

"Prac... tical...?"

In truth, I hadn't intended to bring it up myself until I knew for sure whether it could be mass-produced.

It would be embarrassing if I tried it on the mana-infused paper intended for mass production and ended up going, 'Nope, it doesn't work after all!'

Also, if possible, I wanted to finish it first and then smugly declare, 'Is it possible that I'm actually amazing?' But now that things had gone this far, I was past caring.

"Since we're here, would you like to see whether it can activate an ordinary scroll?"

"Oh, nice. I love experiments like this."

Riko-senpai stood up with a cackle, and Miyu-san followed her sluggishly.

That was unusual. I always imagined her moving briskly at all times.

Miyu-san peered at me from between her long black hair with amethyst-colored eyes like some sort of ghost, and I instinctively took several steps backward.

"May I observe it as well...?"

"O-of course... It's nothing special, though."

"No... No, it's fine. Yes. It's fine."

"R-right...?"

Feeling terrified by Miyu-san's strange behavior, I nevertheless moved to the garage.

Kenning—the very definition of something impressive—was sitting there, so I lightly stroked its armor while taking advantage of the confusion.

Humanoid robots really are great... I want to give it a machine gun.

Anyway, I moved the workbench to the center and secured the 'Water Bullet' scroll. Then I tied the mana supply scroll to it with kite string.

If an ability user pinched the scrolls directly, mana might accidentally flow through them. So I put ordinary kite string between them to reduce the mana-transfer rate.

Once we had finished preparing everything, I opened the shutter.

"Then try firing it this way."

"...Yes."

I held the buckler loaded with 'Psychokinetic Shield' and took my position in the line of fire. I wanted to avoid sending the spell straight ahead and accidentally breaking something.

Miyu-san pinched the kite string between her fingers and slowly brought the scrolls closer together. Then, the instant the two touched—

A mass of water, probably two liters, came flying straight at me.

"Whoa."

The moment I saw it with my Demon Eye, I activated my own scroll as well. When the shield received the spell, water sprayed spectacularly across the ground and to both sides.

I breathed a sigh of relief when it activated properly. I'd tested it secretly on my own, but doing it in front of other people was still nerve-racking.

It was just like giving a book report or some other presentation in elementary school.

"So, that's the general idea."

"That's incredible, Otaku-kun. Isn't this a major invention?"

Riko-senpai applauded me with a smile.

Somehow embarrassed, I averted my gaze and gave a small nod.

"Well, yes. Once scrolls can be mass-produced, I think even non-ability users will be able to fight monsters. And once scrolls like 'Healing' have been simplified, they'll be usable too..."

"That's right. I'd forgotten because we don't normally use them, but isn't this also a major invention for the medical field?"

"No, not quite that far. In theory, simplified magic has considerably weaker effects..."

"Kota-san."

Miyu-san spoke to me as she stared at the desk where the two scrolls had burned up and disappeared.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Does this mean that one mana supply scroll can activate one ordinary scroll?"

"Oh, no. That's just because the mana flowed too easily, so more than necessary passed through. The excess seems to have simply dissolved into the atmosphere."

"Then it can activate magic tools with a higher mana consumption as well?"

"At that size, it can't power anything all that demanding. But I do have an idea."

"What do you mean?"

Miyu-san raised her head and looked at me.

Something about her today was a little frightening. She didn't seem angry, but her eyes felt unusually intense.

"An ordinary scroll has to have a 'beginning and end' connected in one continuous piece. But this doesn't contain a spell; it only depicts a path. So, in theory, I should be able to combine it into one unit with breaks in it..."

"Like toilet paper?"

"Yes, it would look something like that."

I nodded at Riko-senpai's example, though it was a questionable comparison. Well, that really was what it would become.

Compared to the magic tools made by the even greater geniuses of the world, this would certainly be no better than tissue paper. Kenning was the prime example.

After all, that thing could convert electricity into mana. It replenished its energy through an outlet and used only a small amount of oil for the parts that required hydraulics. That alone let it move the way it did.

I couldn't make excuses by saying it was a product from the future. Without a doubt, basic research had already progressed this far. Or perhaps it was already complete, but simply hadn't been released to the public.

Before true geniuses and heroes like that appeared on the world stage, I wanted to enjoy being smug for at least a little while.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I set the shield on the desk and used my hand as a dustpan to gather up the scrolls that had been reduced to ashes.

"That's the idea for powering large magic tools or activating scrolls continuously."

"...I see. Understood."

After nodding several times, Miyu-san extended her right hand toward me.

For a moment, I didn't understand what she meant, but then I realized she was asking for a handshake.

"Um..."

Though bewildered, I took her hand. Her fingers were cool, soft, and slender, yet they unmistakably held the warmth of a human being.

I couldn't look away from her amethyst-colored eyes as they gazed straight at me. My heart gave a jolt, and I realized it was pounding.

"Please keep up the good work from here on out, Kota-san."

"Y-yes... Um, yeah. Of course...?"

"In that case, do you have any leads on a production plant once the paper can be mass-produced?"

"No, not at all..."

I looked toward Riko-senpai to ask whether Master had any ideas.

However, she merely shrugged and shook her head.

"Grandma is trying to find one through her old connections, but finding someone trustworthy who'll accept our materials and follow a specified recipe is pretty tough."

"Yeah, I figured..."

This was bad. I could barely manage to respond, but Miyu-san's hand had left my mind unable to think properly.

I was doing everything I could just to direct my gaze somewhere other than at her.

"Understood. I am still unfamiliar with this era, and I have no personal connections outside 'Alf.' There is a high chance that I will be unable to help find a factory."

"No, that's only natural. I think you should take your time getting used to this era, Miyu-san..."

"However, I will do anything I can. Please make full use of me."

She'd said something similar before...!

And I think I'd ended up staring at her breasts then too...!

Disgusted by my lack of personal growth, I hurriedly turned my entire face away from the enormous breasts I'd instinctively stared at.

Damn, they're magnificent today too...!

"Um, so, I don't think a girl your age should be saying things like that, if we're being sensible."

"That's right, Miyu-chi. Men are wolves, and Otaku-kun's a closet perv!"

"Who are you calling a closet perv?"

As I retorted to Riko-senpai, I quietly withdrew my hand from the handshake.

That was dangerous. If it had continued, I might have confessed my feelings.

Don't underestimate how easily high school boys fall for someone. We're three times as easy to sway as the heroines of old light novels.

No, when the girl in question is a busty beauty like Miyu-san, twelve times wouldn't be an exaggeration.

On top of that, I'd start mistakenly thinking, 'Wait, does this girl like me?' Actually, I almost did. Seriously. I was seconds away from falling in love.

"What does 'closet perv' mean?"

"It's someone who thinks about lewd things all the time."

"Don't point at me and say that, you fake gyaru."

"I'm not fake! Rosso-san recognizes me as a gyaru!"

"What about everyone else?"

"...I believe in myself!"

"So it's self-proclaimed."

Even Master averted her gaze at that point. Get a grip and accept reality, will you?

"I see."

Miyu-san clapped her hands with a soft smack.

Oh no. I had a bad feeling about this.

"So Kota-san is always thinking about reproduction? Understood."

"That's not how you put it!"

I mean, reproduction!? We're not dogs or cats, you know!?

I'd thought this before, but Miyu-san's conversations about sex were somehow emotionless. Colorless, even.

"I'm sorry. I cannot become Kota-san's mate."

"She said it outright! And 'mate' makes me sound like an actual animal!"

"Oh, yeah... Of course. Yep. I wasn't getting the wrong idea or anything. I'm fine, Miyu-san."

"That's a mortal wound! My tear ducts are reaching their limit!"

I wasn't crying. I wasn't crying, okay? I absolutely wasn't shedding tears.

...Sorry. I really can't take this.

"Kota-san should marry Riko-senpai or Master."

"Huh, me!? Wait, isn't it a little early for that...?"

"No, uh. Those two are a little..."

"I got rejected!? Before I even confessed!? Is getting my heart broken an event that happens before I even fall in love!?"

"It would be rude to look at Master that way, and Riko-senpai hasn't done the loach-scooping yet..."

"How badly do you want me to do loach-scooping!? And forget it! I wouldn't want you either, you idiot!"

"Understood. Riko-senpai, let's go buy a colander and a hand towel now."

"I'm not going!"

Riko-senpai squawked at Miyu-san.

I couldn't tell them. When Master and Riko-senpai were offered as options, my heart had skipped a beat.

Seriously... Men are such easy creatures...

"Damn it, Miyu-chi! This time I'm really mad! And you too, Otaku-kun!"

"I'm sorry. Did I say something that offended you?"

"Didn't I only get caught up in half of this?"

"Shut up! I forgive Miyu-chi because she apologized. But you, Otaku-kun—sleep trembling in fear of my revenge!"

"I have too much pride as a human being to apologize to Riko-senpai over something like this..."

"That much!? Damn it, just you wait!"

Riko-senpai made an absurdly dramatic show of wiping away her tears.

Then she left the garage with bizarre movements, as if she were recreating a scene in slow motion.

"I'll tell Grandma on you!"

"That's a pretty feeble revenge...!"

Riko-senpai left the garage like that, but she came back about three seconds later.

"I was supposed to adjust Kenning today."

"Good work."

That night, Master sent me a message saying, 'Thanks for always being friends with Riko.'

I guess your everyday behavior really does matter...

That aside, I replied, 'Thank you for always taking care of me too.'

In truth, I was happy just to have someone like her around as a friend.

...I really am a pushover.