C458. Why do you do that……? (6)
[When is the wedding?]
At Heinkel's words, Alon was taken aback for just a moment.
He felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was as if he had already gone through a similar situation before...
With that feeling as familiar as it was uncomfortable, he naturally turned his gaze toward Penia.
And what he saw was:
Penia averting her eyes to the side with total stealth.
—Wow... so you do it like that now......?
—T-that's not it!
Evan, who until then had limited himself to observing the situation, let out an exclamation of astonishment.
Penia denied it almost convulsively and immediately continued speaking:
—I never spread that kind of rumor! Why would I go around divulging something that will be discovered in a few weeks!?
She was defending her innocence with desperation.
[Huh? Wasn't it you? Since the rumor was everywhere, I thought this time it was true.]
—It wasn't!
—Well, for it not to be so, you were certainly moving your eyes to the side.
But neither Heinkel nor Evan were willing to let it pass so easily.
Penia, with an expression unusual for her —visibly nervous— quickly added:
—N-no, look, you see... It wasn't intentional. It's just that... I was working a lot, you know? And in the midst of that it kind of... well, it wasn't that kind of message at all, and I was telling people something else, and—
Waving her hands aimlessly, murmuring incoherently.
But it barely lasted a few seconds.
—...So, you said you had a special relationship?
—Yes...
She replied in a very low voice, as if she had already anticipated that they would scold her.
Alon nodded slowly.
Honestly, can just saying "we have a special relationship" generate rumors to this level? he wondered.
But if he remembered what happened last time...
Thinking about that mysterious rumor that had circulated in the Magic Tower, he could almost believe it.
'But... did she really have to say it was a special relationship?'
It seemed strange to Alon.
Objectively speaking, even without defining their relationship as "special," the work would have turned out just as well.
However...
—I understand.
Alon put a hand on Penia's shoulder, who seemed depressed.
—...Eh?
Penia looked at him in surprise. Her gaze, somewhat bewildered, was curious, but Alon continued:
—We have spent enough time together for me to have noticed.
Penia's expression brightened in a very peculiar way.
—Not... noticed?
—Yes, noticed.
—N-noticed what......?
—Your thoughts.
—M-my thoughts?
—Yes.
—H-how can you know my thoughts so well...? N-no, well, it's not that, but for you to say something so suddenly makes me a little—
Penia raised and lowered the corners of her lips while rambling.
But—
—You like to show off a little, after all.
Pat.
Upon hearing that, Penia's eyes —which were moving frantically— went completely still.
—...What?
She asked with a hollow voice.
But Alon nodded as if he understood everything.
—I'm not criticizing you. Self-esteem is something one must take care of oneself.
—Anyway, I don't intend to say anything to you about this, so you can be at ease.
Penia's scattered eyes regained focus. Alon checked that and patted her on the shoulder.
A sigh sounded that seemed like a mix of resignation and relief.
—Hahaha—
But as soon as Evan intervened, Penia turned her head with a ferocious expression. Alon smiled with satisfaction: she was back to being her usual self.
—...Eh? What's wrong with her?
Then he noticed Heinkel's gaze and looked back at her.
[Hmm... how should I say it....]
—Yes?
[No, nothing.]
—???
Heinkel observed Alon with a complicated expression, then shrugged her shoulders.
The commotion finally calmed down.
[Well, since everything is ready, I will show you.]
With total confidence, Heinkel headed to the center of the library.
A column, with a broken clock hanging on it, stood in the middle.
[Hoo—]
Upon arriving, Heinkel sighed slightly and placed her hand on the clock.
Tok— tododododok—!!
The clock, which had been stopped for so long, began to move frantically.
The minute hand moved so fast it was impossible to see, and the hour hand spun almost as quickly.
Alon realized one thing.
'......Backwards......?'
The clock was not moving forward, but backward.
When it completed its turn—
Tak—!
The two hands stopped simultaneously on the "12".
Fwaaaash—!
Heinkel's body, which had her hand on the clock, began to fade.
And then—
Kuuuuuggg—!!
The column opened.
Multi-faced cubes shifted inside and the interior was revealed. There, Alon, Penia, and Evan saw it.
From the darkness, Heinkel walked out, with an expression full of confidence.
—Fufufu— Surprised?
A broad smile appeared on her lips.
But Alon, Evan, and Penia couldn't say anything.
It was inevitable.
—...Eh? What is it?
Because Heinkel's height was ridiculously small. So much so that they almost doubted if it was really her.
—...She is totally a dwarf.
Evan said it bluntly.
—Ha...?
As if he had touched a vital nerve, Heinkel twitched immediately.
Alon, who totally agreed with Evan, hid his awkwardness in silence.
—This body is 155 cm!
—Isn't it 140?
—It is not!
—It looks like 140 to me...
—Do you want to experience the "vertical course" of the Central Tower?
After appearing with her real body, and with everyone silent due to the unexpected cuteness, Evan had the courage to speak.
Heinkel threatened to give him the "special vertical course"—from the ceiling to the floor of the Central Tower—and Evan took a step back.
—...Even so... the Earth moves......
He murmured something until the end.
—What did you say!?
—Alon-nim! I remembered I have pending information, I'll go down first!
Evan fled in a hurry.
Alon turned his gaze back to Heinkel, astounded.
'She is small. Really.'
Even estimating by eye, Evan wasn't far from the truth.
Then, as if she had read Alon's thoughts, Heinkel's eyes narrowed. Alon averted his gaze immediately.
—...What happened exactly?
Heinkel made a sour face, but sighed resignedly.
—If I explain it in detail it's long, so I'll keep it simple. You can view it as if I were in cryogenic hibernation.
—...Cryogenic hibernation?
—Yes. I used some artifacts. Do you want the long explanation?
—Yes.
This time Penia answered on the spot.
Unlike the initial shock of seeing "mini Heinkel," her eyes shone with curiosity.
—Well, then—
Heinkel began to explain the magic, and both conversed animatedly.
Alon thought:
'That detail... does not appear in Psychedelia.'
He no longer intended to cling to the lore of Psychedelia.
But when it came to Heinkel—a character who never appeared physically even if the world collapsed—it was totally new and surprising.
He raised his hand slightly.
—Can I ask something?
—Mm? What?
—Why did you freeze your body in this way?
It was something he had suddenly become curious about.
Heinkel went "Ah—" and replied dismissively:
—Because I had nothing left to do.
—...How come?
—I told you. I had nothing left to do. Well, more accurately... it's not that there was nothing to achieve, but that I reached a limit.
Alon tilted his head. Heinkel stroked her chin. Her posture was too mature for a child's body.
—As you know, I am an almost mythical figure among mages. The theories of the Circle come from many sources, but a ton of formulas and calculation methods were created by me.
And just as she said, her prestige was enormous.
—But upon reaching a certain point... bam! I felt the limit.
—......
—With my theories, I was able to reach Origin, which is the next step of known magic... but I couldn't go further.
—After Origin...?
—More accurately, what comes after that.
She continued explaining:
—In short: I thought there was a limit I couldn't reach alone. So I decided to rely on the passage of time.
—The power of time...?
—Yes. Another genius like me might not be born, but humans are beings that accumulate knowledge.
Alon finally understood.
Why she had entered that kind of lethargy, and why she was waking up just now.
'So that's why she helped promising mages in the game.'
Remembering the lore, the pieces fit together.
Penia opened her mouth.
—So, are you looking for a specific type of magic?
—Exactly. In fact, it could almost be said that I hibernated these hundreds of years just to find that magic.
—What kind of magic is it...?
Penia murmured full of curiosity.
Heinkel sketched a bitter smile.
—...I will tell you when the time comes.
That expression carried a long history.
Although her body was that of a child, there was pain and sadness in her face.
Penia fell silent and nodded.
—Well— Anyway, let's walk a little. As I imagined, my body feels weird after so long. And my mana hasn't fully returned yet.
Heinkel erased the bitter smile.
Trying to cover up old memories, she raised her voice with an exaggeratedly cheerful tone and headed for the door.
THUD—!
She hit her head against the door and fell backward.
—...?—
While Alon and Penia stood perplexed—
—Ugh...
Heinkel held her forehead and got up as if nothing happened.
—I-I'm so used to moving as a mana form that... I moved without thinking...
Although she tried to sound calm, her face was completely red. Perhaps embarrassed for ruining the atmosphere, she coughed awkwardly and reached for the doorknob.
But although she extended her hand—
A small gasp came out of her mouth.
No matter how much she stretched her arm, she didn't reach the doorknob.
On a normal door there would be no problem, but in the library, the doorknob was placed absurdly high.
Heinkel tried again and again, even standing on tiptoes.
But it was useless.
After several failed attempts, she stood staring at nothing.
—...Open this for me......
Finally, with her cheeks about to burst from redness, she asked for help.
Crreeeek—
Alon opened the door without saying a word.
And he mentally added the note: Heinkel has a surprisingly clumsy side.
Meanwhile, in the elven kingdom of Fildegreen—
—Sister, did the work go well?
—Yes.
—So, what was it that forced you to go out this time?
—Why...?
The elf queen Magrina and Rine were enjoying a quiet tea time.
—Can I ask? You opened the Platon suddenly and then ran out.
At the question, Rine meditated a little.
—Hmm... Something came to mind suddenly.
—Something I had to tell my godfather immediately.
She replied with a slight smile.
Magrina was left wondering when—
Knock knock.
A small knock on the door.
—U-um...
Magrina's secretary, Myu, entered cautiously.
—What is it, Myu?
Magrina asked smiling. Myu hesitated for a few seconds.
—Y-you see... "that information" you always tell me to report to you arrived...
—Is it information about my older brother?
—Yes. Well... it's just that... it's about a rumor...
Magrina nodded serenely.
But—
—I-it's just that... there is a rumor that the Primordial has... started a "special relationship" with someone—
The instant Myu finished the sentence—
Magrina went completely still.
And at the same time—
CRACK—
The cup in her hand began to crack.
CLANG—
It broke.
But even with the fragments scattered before her, Magrina did not lose her smile. As always, she placed what remained —the handle, the only intact part— on the saucer.
Clink—
Over the puddle of spilled tea remained the useless fragment.
—...Could you tell me that story in a little more detail?
At that perfectly flat voice, Myu swallowed hard.
