Chapter 48
Witch’s Magic and Two Armors
If we were going to head to the royal palace with a small group, it would be necessary to build up a specialized unit of troops.
Everyone agreed with Ordo’s point, so it was decided that we would spend the next few days inside the mansion.
I took lessons on magic from Gina while Percival and Alexis worked alongside Ordo and his knights. We would gather together and confirm the state of the preparations over dinner……every day.
Although we had come to the decision to effectively stage a coup, it could be said that this was the first calm time we had had since we started this journey.
A few days passed with this calm time.
I was wearing my armor sitting on a sofa in my room. Gina, who was sitting across from me, was watching me very closely. The view in front of me was different from the usual, some of my vision was obstructed in a strange way, and there was more darkness around me than the usual as well.
It is hard to see…..so I scrunched my brow and narrowed my vision from within my helmet.
A shiny silver sight different from the color I am used to and a cacophony of sounds I do not recognize ringing out every time I move causes a wave of uneasiness to wash over me. It seems that I have gotten so used to the suit of armor I have worn for so long that anything else causes me to feel obstructed and a weird sense of stuffiness.
The thought causes an amount of self-pity to overcome me. But now is not the time to lament, so I reached out towards the armor sitting upright in front of me. It was the armor that I had grown so accustomed to.
On the other hand, the outstretched hand before me was something completely unfamiliar to me. What was worn was a beautifully polished suit of armor with a refined design. It was one of the suits lined up in the mansion’s corridors.
I had to concentrate even harder due to the sense of incongruity from wearing this new armor, but soon the familiar suit of armor in front of me started to move. An empty armor moving even though nobody was touching it, isn’t this a horror story?
“Good job Monette, that’s the way. Is it too hot in there?”
“It’s alright. I’m getting used to it.”
“Even a skilled witch has a hard time manipulating things if the right conditions are not met. And even then, it will be a huge drain on their physical stamina as well. It is easier if you have a knack for it though.”
I continued watching the suit of armor sitting in front of me while listening to Gina’s explanation.
Using magic from inside a suit of unfamiliar armor, the familiar armor moved with slow, jerky movements. When I ordered it to pet Concetta on top of Gina’s lap, the fingertips of silver steadily and gently brushed the soft hair. Concetta sniffed the iron fingers as they were brought away–feeling strange towards the awkward movements that could not be described as having belonged to a person.
“You cannot move the fingers, but it seems that you have gotten used to it rather quickly.”
“It’s thanks to Gina. If Gina were not here to tell me what to do, I would never have figured out how to do this myself.”
I showed my appreciation and expressed my thanks from inside this new helmet, and Gina returned a smile to me in turn. Her pride as my senior witch was showing.
Meanwhile, a light knock on the door echoed inside the room.
When I called out to them, the door began to slowly open.
The person who revealed themselves in the doorway was Percival. He took one step into the room before he stopped and his eyes opened wide in surprise. He took one look at Gina before his eyes focused in on the two suits of armor.
“………Miss Monette?”
His vision continued to alternate between me and my usual suit of armor.
It was funny to watch, so I started speaking from inside this helmet with a grin spreading across my face. Then a, “Percival, what’s wrong?” came out in my voice.
………from both sets of armor. In addition, I when both sets of armor tilted their heads in confusion, I could see the question marks swirling overtop Percival’s head.
Watching both sets of armor that were making fun of him…….
“It’s this one!
he vigorously pointed to one of the armors.
The carefully polished suit of armor. It was the armor that had originally decorated the mansion’s hallway.
However the armor stopped moving once Percival pointed at it, until, “You did well,” a voice came from the armor and the clanking of iron hitting armor rang from the armor clapping its hands together.
Of course, I was included in with the armor as well.
“That was amazing, Percival. How were you able to figure it out?”
“Even if they move in the same way, that armor’s movements were clearly less natural.”
“I see.”
“Besides, surely because of my love”
“As expected Percival! As I thought I cannot underestimate the skills of a witch slayer!”
Gina raised a loud voice overtop of Percival and pulled me in to a tight embrace.
At that moment I thought Percival was groaning, but while being stroked and held by Gina, I was unable to see his current state. I feel like he had said something, but I could not hear him because of Gina and it seems like I won’t be able to ask him about it.
“Hey Monette, as expected of a witch slayer’s strength right?”
“I feel like it is less to do with him being a witch slayer and more him having dynamic eyesight and observant eyes.”
“That’s true huh. Dynamic visual acuity and observational eyes, I cannot think of any other reason he would be able to pick you apart.”
In Gina’s affirmation, I had to tilt my helmet to see the subject of our conversation.
Then, when my gaze fell on Percival, he narrowed his blue eyes for a moment before shaking his head and taking a seat next to the empty suit of armor.
“……..Inside?”
“Robertson is inside the helmet.”
Hearing my explanation, Percival once again started looking between the two suits of armor.
Then he narrowed his eyes as if he were deep in thought……….,
“When she grows, a new armor……?”
he murmured.
“Please do not talk like I have the same ecology as a hermit crab.”
“I know, it’s just a joke. So, what are you going to do with the leftovers?”
“I haven’t molted either!”
As I cried out my complaints to him, Percival responded with a jovial laugh.
As he did so, he gave me a ‘so then’ expression as if he had just finished a ceremony before turning his gaze back towards the other set of armor. I glared at him for a second before taking a small breath and turning my gaze as well.
It was the armor I usually wear. I concentrated my mind before sending out an order, and it reacted with a slow creak as it raised one hand.
“I am moving the armor with my magic. I can only do it for a short time, but the field of vision and the sounds heard by it while I am manipulating it are all transmitted to me.”
“I was surprised. Can you do that whenever you want because you are a witch?”
“I can only do it if Robertson enters inside, but the further the armor is away from me the more it drains my physical strength, and the connection is immediately broken if it receives a strong shock.”
Listening to my explanation, Percival breathed out as if he were impressed and knocked on the armor’s chest, making a hollow *gong* *gong* echoed out.
On the other hand, I complained because if was noisy. The sounds heard from inside this new armor and the sounds transmitted through the armor with Robertson inside were both coming into my ears.
In the first place, this magic is only possible for me because I had been wearing that suit of armor for many years, and because Robertson was inside. By continuously wearing it for many years, the armor had become soaked in my magic power, and Robertson allowed me to manipulate that magical energy by acting as my familiar.
And with the efficient method of using magic that Gina had taught me, I was capable of utilizing both. Without any of these three things, the empty armor in front of me would not be able make fun of Percival like it was. Controlling things with magic is a difficult thing to do.
Of course, I cannot afford to relax just because I can use it.
Whether I become woozy due to the double voices or because my physical strength runs out, it is a magic that cannot be used for a long period of time.
But, if I were to put in some stronger magic……
Thinking so, I let out a short breath.
However Percival suddenly called my name, bringing my thoughts back to reality and drawing my gaze towards him.
“…….Miss Monette, what’s the matter?”
With Percival’s words, my polished helmet gave out a creak as I tilted my head.
‘What’s the matter’, what does he mean? There was no mockery in Percival’s eyes, and he looked almost a little worried.
Seeing his eyes like that, my only reaction was a resounding, “What?”
“What’s wrong with what?”
“No, somehow you looked hot is all.”
Percival was looking straight at my helmet. No, he was looking through my helmet, right in the space where my eyes would be.
Is that not a little too weird? Whether I look hot or not, I am wearing a full suit of armor. Naturally my face is completely blocked off by iron as well, so it should be impossible for him to see my face.
“How can you tell if I’m hot or not without being able to see anything other than my helmet?”
“No, that’s…..but you still looked like you were hot.”
Looking like he thought it was strange himself, Percival gave an answer that couldn’t really be considered an answer. Yet he continued to look right at my helmet with confidence in his thoughts.
His blue eyes were looking directly into my own. It was as if he were staring right into my own……….thinking that far, my breath stopped for a second when I realized I was staring into his eyes as well.
Feeling extremely self-conscious for a moment, I quickly turned my face away.
I wear armor everyday that is able to hide my entire physical structure, and while it would be difficult for someone to see my eyes through the visor in my helm, I use witchcraft to make it impossible for anyone to peek in. I applied the same spells to this armor as well. I can see out, but nobody can see in. I’ve done it this way since I first donned my armor.
It has allowed me to relax……
“They will not be able to see my eyes even in this armor,” with this thought, I became careless.
Percival is a witch slayer.
No magic will work on him. This of course also includes the magic I use to hide my eyes.
In other words, for him this armor I am wearing is just an ordinary suit of armor. And this armor was something made as a decoration, so of course, it lacks much in the way of protection in favor of a more artistic look.
So looking directly at the helmet, you would be able to naturally see the wearer’s pupils…….
“S-Sorry……!”
Percival’s reaction was one that screamed, ‘I saw it.’
Meanwhile, my eyes had started to swim inside my helmet, and I was too busy cursing myself for my own idiocy to give him any kind of follow-up.
An awkward air spread in the room.
But even in a time like this, while laughing graciously, Gina stepped forward while while saying, “So witch slayers are peepers too.” Robertson appeared from the empty helmet and started to do a little dance on the surface, and with Concetta meowing and making noise, the awkward air quickly turned into something more normal.
……….Even though I wasn’t feeling normal at all!
My heart was beating like an early morning school bell. The echoes resonated through my body, and it felt like I could hear the noise coming out of every single one of my pores adding on to my uneasiness every second that passed. My insides were hot.
It’s not good for me to be seen by other people.
But now my eyes have been seen making my heart tighten, and a cold sweat passed over me even though I knew that nobody could see any part of me now.
A constriction and fear, emotions welled up even though such a small part of me had been seen. Both my body and my mind were completely occupied by these thoughts.
But curiously, for some reason I felt that this discomfort, was just a little different than what I remember it to be.
While thinking that, I looked up and watched Percival’s back as he ran out the door with Gina calling him a peeping demon as he left.