“How are you?”
“…I am fine. I am alive…I think.”
I managed to answer as I looked down at my body and moved my fingers.
I was fine. Nothing had turned into sand. But I still felt numb, as if I was moving a body that was not mine. It was a strange feeling.
It was as if my body had changed–just imagining it made a chill go down my spine.
I think that I was able to become a magician. But were magicians the same creatures as humans? What if I was now something completely different…
But there was no point in dwelling on it now.
I was able to move my body, so I thank Cain and pulled myself up.
As I moved, the strange sensations began to fade away, as did the unease inside of my heart. I sighed with relief.
And right beside me now, was the old magician.
But his breathing had become very short; as if they would stop at any moment.
“…Just as you said, you were able to become a magician, eh? Hehe.”
He laughed through his hoarse voice. I nodded.
“How do I use magic?”
The next thing I needed to do, was to keep my promise with him.
“You…said that you can make dirt dolls. Then…put your hands on the ground and imagine it. Gather together the power from the dirt…it is the same power that is within you…and shape it.”
He was no longer able to speak without pausing. His eyes seemed to no longer see.
…He must have used the last of his powers in making the contract.
I put my palms on the ground in order to do as he said, but then I remembered something.
“By the way, may I ask the name of the man who will be my master?”
It seemed unlikely that I would be able to call his soul if I didn’t know his name.
And so the old magician told me.
“Horace.”
After that, he stopped blinking. A moment later, the ends of his body began to slowly crumble into sand.
…So magicians did turn into sand when they die.
“Miss Kiara, the magician…”
“Yes, I’ll hurry.”
I closed my eyes and searched for a power inside of the ground that was the same as the one I could feel within me.
“However, perhaps you do not have to fulfill your promise now?”
Cain seemed to be of the opinion that we should just leave the old magician here. That indeed was an option. But I did not want to do that.
“I want to keep my promise. After all, he had used the final moments of his life to help me.”
It was through that that I was now able to help Reggie and the others. I wanted to return the favor.
I concentrated. This was my first time doing this, and there was no one to lead me on any further.
I remember the words that he told me as I try and fail. But eventually, I manage to detect a warmth that is the same as the one I can feel inside of me.
Now to form this… Suddenly I had to wonder, ‘what shape should this dirt doll have?’
Usually, they would be giant golems inside of games.
But considering an old magician named Horace would live inside of it, that would be too big. But if I was to make it smaller, I could only think of something like legos.
I don’t know, I think maybe something that I could hold with my two hands would be the best.
And if we are to talk together, then he would need eyes and a mouth as well.
With all of that taken into consideration, the shape I settled on was an earthen figurine with an alien-like face. …Now that I think of it, Master Horace looked a little like an alien himself. This was quite perfect.
Oh, no. Perhaps that was too cruel and I should think of something else. As soon as I thought this, my concentration was severed.
“Ggg…”
When I opened my eyes, the earthen figurine was created.
It was just under thirty centimeters tall, which was a size that I could easily carry.
Not only that, but small grains of the red stone were now floating away from Old Horace, whose body was halfway turned to sand. The little red grains were being absorbed into the earthen figurine.
And in the next instant, it’s alien-like eyes glowed red.
“OOoo! So this is my new body!”
It was a voice that sounded like an echo from within an empty pot. Of course, it was the same voice as the old man next to me who was now completely turned into sand.
Uh…I was successful. But should I be happy about this?
I glanced over to Cain, but his expression was stiff. This was too strange, wasn’t it?
But Master Horace was now adeptly moving his arms and legs and seemed to be quite satisfied with the results.
The first thing that I thought after realizing that I had really succeeded, was that I should probably not show Master Horace…a mirror.
Translator:
Sorry about the long delay. Unfortunately, I’m not 100% sure I will be continuing this series for now. I haven’t decided to drop it outright, however, if anyone wants to translate it instead, especially if you can do timely releases, then you are more than welcome.