4 Years Old: Chapter 7 - Touchstone
「Father, Father, what should I do? There are so many books! Compared to our house, there are so many more books! What should I do? Well then, isn't it a waste not to read them? This, isn't it a waste not to read them!」
「Settle down, Liz. It's alright to read, how about after we've settled your request」
The place where Father had brought me along was the Magician's Institution located inside the castle. Rather than saying it exists inside the castle, it felt like a building that had been found within the castle.
The Magician's Institution was treated like an external department. Even so, it was still considered a system that was under the King's direct supervision. And more importantly, above all else, within the Magician's Institution, books concerning sorcery covered all of the surfaces on the walls.
Earlier when I was at the library, there were not many books on sorcery. Primarily, it felt filled with books on history and the world, which wasn't very interesting for me. Of course, I love ordinary books, though as expected – my love for sorcery books are an exception.
Upon entering, Father was immediately greeted by a personnel's request so I was showed into this room..... Yup, this place is heaven.
I mean look, the walls are crammed packed, lined with magic books. There are even a lot of books that I don't understand. Considering I've read everything within the span of the house, seeing the spectacle before my very eyes rather excites me.
Seeing my twinkling eyes, Father gave a wry smile. Father knows that I especially love these kinds of books.
「..... Fuwahhh, excuse me, unconsciously.....」
「Well it was expected..... Well, Liz, come inside here」
Lead by Father's hand, there was a door located deep inside. Judging from it's appearance, it was a sturdy door. It gave a feeling as though something quite precious was located deep within.
「Father, this is.....?」
「On the other side of this door is the magical aptitude stone. This is where you release all your magical powers into it. Ah, but it's fairly precious, so try not to destroy it」
Well if a hammer were to strike the topmost of the Magic Institution and it were to fall, it still wouldn't break, was said by Father with an assured laugh and a clap on my shoulders.
Stop please Father, that's like an introduction flag right. A flag that I'll crush.
My cheeks twitched slightly as I acutely felt an ominous foreboding. Father, however, was still laughing, pushing me from the back. No, even if it broke, I had no idea, honestly.
「..... It won't really break, right」
「It will be fine. Furthermore, it's an object that shines upon accumulating magical powers. Even though I say it's precious, it doesn't mean that we can't mine it again」
..... I really didn't know that.
「..... So I need to release my magic into this?」
Having been invited into the room, I was handed a lump the size of a man's fist. An onyx looking, glossy looking jet-black stone remained in my hands. Also as it was quite heavy, it was extremely difficult to hold. Because it was incredibly beautiful, it was inconceivable that it was just a stone. It seemed to have been placed on the pedestal, for in the centre of the small room stood its installation spot.
..... Expensive, it looked absolutely expensive.
「Yup. In the front of the pedestal..... Positioned at the centre, release your magic into it」
Father conveniently declared with a smile, causing me to become extremely hesitant. Somehow, I felt exceptionally guilty. Even if I were to be said to be a child of Father's and Mother's. It was easy to be self-conscious of one's abilities with these people.
Father could be seen with a smile full of expectations. Perhaps my child is amazing, is what he anticipates..... So I can't let down his expectations, can I.
Considering the conditions set before me, one can only advance. Wishing hard, I place my hand on the stone and put my all into it.
Unsure how to invoke the touchstone, I slowly concentrated my powers into it. As my parents’ child, I expect to have some talent.
Probably.
Synchronising my breath as I breath in and out, from the surface of my palm, magic poured into the touchstone. The magic poured steadily in accordance to my blood flow stream, with the sensation that it was being absorbed by the touchstone. It can be said that the source of magic is blood, though the more accurate source is actually our life force.
Magic resides in our blood. In fact, endlessly flowing within us is what's called magic. Externally, the dispelled, materialised form is called sorcery..... Though that's just second hand information from a book. There's also an organ that produces magic..... Hmm, I guess it's somewhere in the brain tissues. This organ takes in the magic source called magic particle in the air when you aren't aware of it and converts it into magic power inside the body and accumulates it in blood. A condenser and a transformer? That seems to be its role.
To be termed highly as a genius in the making, according to others, my condenser, transformer and battery allows a phenomenal maximum, permissible dosage. Creating magic personally is a requirement for the conversion. If you can process large amounts of magic particle in the atmosphere, then you can store a massive amount. Thus to be able to handle that quantity all at once is uncommon.
In the realms of possibility for parallel processing of sorcery, this would appear to be an accomplishment. Simply by Father's judgement, this was a needed preface. Because he was an overly doting parent, I only half listened to him. There's a limit to listening about one's cheat specs that one can be amazed by. How can Father easily make a judgement based on that.
「Liz! Your hand, your hand!」
「..... My hand?」
Mindlessly absorbed and concentrated within my thoughts, Father's voice sounded desperate in the distance.
Coming back to reality I glanced at my palm..... Crap what should I do, it's melting.
Not my hand, the stone.
「Father, was it broken when you gave it to me?」
「How are you even so calm there, Liz! Quickly suspend your magic!」
Without even saying I already understood, concentrating, I stopped the flow of magic and began to accumulate it back with my palm. Nevertheless, it barely stopped the flow. The solid trace of the touchstone was nowhere to be found.
The mineral lump had liquidized into fluid. The jet-black liquid..... had transformed completely into a liquid that was milky-white which occasionally glittered and radiated with the seven prismatic colours, for example, opal looking.
Nope. As expected, I didn't wish for this special sort of ability. Why such a cheat.
「Father, container」
「Huh, container!? Wait just a minute, I'll get it!」
As expected it was wrong to complain. Even though I had only poured in what I deemed an ordinary amount of magic, the resulting state of the touchstone was completely unexpected. Father left in a panic after his gaze met the touchstone with lowered eyebrows.
Father could not have predicted this situation. Even I, who had an ominous foreboding, couldn't have predicted this outcome.
Until Father returned I stood motionlessly, concentrating my gaze on the milky white liquid within my palms.
..... Why did the stone get dissolved. For the mineral to dissolve, it would require hundreds to thousands of degrees or it would be impossible, yet my palm wasn't even hot.
Simmering, the liquified touchstone had changed completely into a clear opal. Personally, I like theruby I inherited from Father but..... there's no complaints for the touchstone either.
「Liz, the container!」
「Ah, Father」
Wondering what to do, Father worriedly dashed back carrying a container in addition with an obviously understandably important elderly man accompanying him. I'm going to be predictably lectured, right.
The elderly man personally took one glance at the liquified touchstone in my hands and collapsed.
「Stay strong, Monk Georg!」, Father said as he supported him without any problems.
Oh dear, I'm truly sorry.
For the time being, the container that Father brought back..... Must have been used by someone drinking at work..... I transferred the touchstone into the wineglass.
Thereupon leaving my hands, the white touchstone gradually turned black. Even the form the mineral was in gradually changed back into it's original state. Was this shape recollection.
Father was surprised beyond amazement, considered all my undertakings and proceeded to laugh strenuously with a half-opened eye. What's with that sorrowful expression.
「Liz.....」
「As told, I only just poured in my magic?」
It wasn't like I did anything strange. Just as instructed, I poured my magic into it. And then it broke, which surprised me.
To me shrugging with a troubled face, the elderly man, whom I believed was called Monk Georg, with eyebrows pushed close together looked in my direction.
..... Chiri.
From the bottom of the nape of my neck, some kind of unpleasant feeling was caressing me. A type of pricking sensation, pain was travelling slightly. Unconsciously rubbing behind my neck to search for the source..... No, even without searching I understood.
..... Seriously.
I wish you wouldn't do that to a child, such actions can send you flying. Well it's not like I don't understand. It really makes you wonder what he's thinking, huh. Honestly, the older you get, the more stubborn you become.
Nevertheless even if I realise it now, who knows if he actually did it and it's not like I have definite proof either. It might be nothing more than a needless fear but I want it to stop.
If necessary, acting innocent might be a good plan.
「..... Liz, for now let's call it a day. Father has more work to do, so I'll remain here」
「I understand..... Because it's dangerous to walk home alone, can't I just read a book here?」
Although the last part of my emitted thoughts were a bit subtle, it seems that Father knew me well..... Realising the meaning behind my words, he gave a nod. Nothing was going to happen with Father around.
Feigning innocence at the unpleasant aura scattered by Monk Georg, I jumped out of the room.
Goodness gracious, adults are scary.