Dissidence
Part 1: An Explanation for Why It’s Freakish
EVER since the monster attack, the twins had been walking with us and talking. To be precise, Leo did the talking and dragged Theo along.
Incidentally, Montana kept squirreling in and out of the bushes as usual. He’d caught a rabbit earlier, and was now walking with raw meat hanging from a tree branch. I knew he’d probably wrap it in leaves after draining the blood.
“Haruka, do you have a magic teacher?” Leo asked.
“I don’t. I’d say I took inspiration from everyone at the training center.”
“So, the level of adventurers there is really that high?”
Montana answered with a shake of his head. “I don’t think anyone practices better than Haruka,” he said.
“Hmmm…” Leo said, thinking. “So you’re using magic without understanding it?”
“I’ve read books and studied, but I have to admit I’m not very knowledgeable on the subject.”
“Then…um…can I teach you the fundamentals?”
Leo stared expectantly at me. Does he want to be friends? If so, I’d be more than happy to get to know him. I found it a bit pathetic that I was letting a child make the overture of friendship, but I was grateful in any case.
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“ARE you sure? I’d really appreciate it.”
Leo breathed a sigh of relief at Haruka’s response. He wanted to give something back to her since she had helped him and his brother—plus he was interested in the unknown skills she used. He felt like he could gain something from her that he wouldn’t have been able to at the Seminary, so he really wanted to get to know her better.
The twins were outstanding wherever they went, even at school, but every day there was boring. There was no one else in their year who could talk to them at their level. For that reason, they’d had high hopes for this expedition. But when they’d joined, there wasn’t a single mage among the knights for them to talk to. Haruka was the first one they’d met outside of the city who was better than they were, which made quite the impression on Leo.
He thought she’d mock him for even offering to teach her, since she was so much better than him, but her response had been kind. The moment convinced him that Haruka was a very gentle person, contrary to her appearance. In hindsight, he realized he’d never seen her get angry.
While Leo’s estimation of her was rising rapidly, Haruka was just happy to be able to learn about magic in an informal setting. Her friends always took care of her anyway, so she had no objections to learning from someone younger. Besides, she was grateful for the opportunity to share in the latest research being conducted by the nation of Lejion.
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NOW that both parties were in agreement, the study group was about to commence. Albert, who had been arguing with Leo just the other day, now spoke to him in a more reserved tone than was usual for him.
“Can I listen in too?” he asked. “I wanna know more about magic myself.”
The good thing about Albert was that even after being verbally trounced, he didn’t stay angry at Leo or ignore him. Leo, for his part, responded with a wicked cackle.
“Sure. But only if you call me Professor Leo.”
Albert was quiet for a moment, then said, “Yes, Professor Leo.” His eye twitched, but he managed to contain his anger. He was probably holding back for the sake of his friends. Haruka gently rubbed his back.
Leo hadn’t expected Albert’s reaction, and even though he thought of Albert as a simple-minded blockhead, he now found it hard to keep teasing him. “I was joking,” he said. “You can just call me ‘Leo.’”
“Hey! What the hell!” Theo cried out suddenly. Apparently, Leo’s sudden change of heart had surprised his brother. He was probably thinking something along the lines of, “Are you kidding?! How could you betray me?!”
“Theo, enough already,” Leo said. “Let’s teach them together. Don’t be so stubborn, there’s no point.”
After an extremely long pause, his twin finally answered. “Fine. Whatever.”
He must have felt lonely, being the only one left out, so he accepted the olive branch, albeit arrogantly. Albert was about to chime in when Corinne tugged on his sleeve, silently telling him no—a grown-up response in an attempt not to make things any more complicated than they already were.
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“ALL right, let’s start with mana,” Theo said, holding up a finger as he began lecturing.
“Mana is everywhere,” Leo followed shortly after, picking up the thread. “When you try to use magic, mana passes through your mind and is converted into magic. That’s why if you use it too much, you get a headache called mana sickness. The training of a mage starts with the awareness of mana. Hey, Haruka, try creating a Water Ball.”
The twins had apparently decided to take turns speaking. As instructed, I chanted to create a ball of water, which floated in the air.
“Did you feel the flow of mana while doing that?”
“I… Maybe?”
“Then it must come to you naturally,” Leo explained. “You’re the type who can use magic without really understanding it. There aren’t many people like that, you know. That’s one reason why, to those of us who have studied magic formally, you’re kind of a freak.”
“The magic you use, Haruka, seems to gather more mana than necessary,” added Theo. “When you use magic, the mana passes through your mind while you imagine the form you want it to take. The more difficult the spell, the more mana you need and the more likely you are to get mana sickness. That’s why skilled magicians only gather the minimum amount of mana necessary.”
“In short, your magic is incredibly inefficient.” Leo paused, then: “That’s another reason you use magic like a freak.”
Theo poked my Water Ball, making its surface vibrate. They’re saying I’m a freak again. Personally, I didn’t think I’d done anything especially unusual. Then again, I hadn’t formally studied the basics, so I wasn’t exactly in a position to argue. They’re probably right. I guess I should start by becoming aware of mana.
Leo had implied there were even more reasons they’d called me a freak, besides what they’d already mentioned. I was already feeling a little down. I didn’t know how much more abuse I could handle.
“Haruka, you didn’t instruct the Water Ball to maintain a certain distance from you. Normally, magic stays in place until it’s released. It doesn’t move with you when you walk.”
Ah, so having a spell follow you around is freakish. I decided to drop it to the ground for now. For some reason, Corinne patted my shoulder comfortingly. Why though?
“Third, you’re using magic while physically enhanced. Physical enhancement is a technique that coats the inside and outside of the body with mana to increase the body’s abilities. It’s difficult to use both magic and physical enhancement at the same time.” Leo paused for a moment and considered. “Actually, I don’t really understand physical enhancement in the first place. A lot of people say they can use it because they’ve done lots of strength training, but they aren’t very cooperative when it comes to research, and it’s not like we can just take their word for it.”
“Apparently there are some people who can actually use both and are willing to assist with research,” Leo said. “The only problem is, they can’t use both simultaneously and they’re mediocre at both.”
Even though I didn’t think about it consciously, my body was always in a state of enhancement, and I could unleash magic freely just by wishing for it. What in the world was going on with me? What could my body do, and to what extent? Listening to the twins talk made me a little scared of myself. I felt like I’d suddenly been handed the launch code for a missile.
The more I understood why they called me a “freak,” the more uneasy I became. I started to worry that my friends would grow to fear and even hate me. What an awful feeling. Since coming to this world, I sometimes felt unstable. I knew my worries were unfounded, but it was surprisingly hard to control my emotions when it came to this.
Suddenly, something brushed against my stiff right hand. I looked down to see Montana’s tail stroking the back of it. When our eyes met, he murmured softly, “It’s okay.”
I was surprised he knew what I was thinking even though I never intended to let it show on my face. Either way, though, a sense of calm and relief washed over me at his words. I quietly thanked him, and his ears twitched in silent acknowledgment. He didn’t need to say anything else.
“So all this means Haruka is strong, right?” Corinne asked, breaking the tension.
“Better enjoy it while it lasts,” Albert quipped, “’cause I’m gonna be stronger eventually, Haruka.”
Their usual banter lifted my spirits even more. On the other hand, Leo seemed annoyed by their conversation. “Were you two even listening to anything we said?”
“I sure was,” Albert said. “I wonder if someday I’ll be able to use magic and physical enhancement too…”
“I knew it. You weren’t listening at all.”
After that, they kept talking and arguing for a while longer.
Grateful to have such good friends, I watched them with peace in my heart.