"Good morning, Angel.
"Ofu-YoGoGo ...... Alekshama ......

　I woke up with Angel in the morning sun.
　We've been sleeping in the same bed since she came to the mansion.
　I've become accustomed to Angel's sleepy, slightly lispy appearance in the morning, and it's become an essential part of my daily life.

Wake up!
"Yes.

　Angel's Waking Up.
　It's not about strong tea or coffee, it's about Ange using magic to help you realize things.

　You've been studying magic with me since you were six years old, and at ten years old, you've already mastered the application of magic.
　It is an application of healing magic, one that forces you out of your drowsiness.

　Angier first holds out his hand to me and tries to use his magic as usual.

...... Huh?
"What's up Angel?
"I can't use magic. ......
Maybe you're tired again. Do you want to sleep a couple more?
"Hmmm, I do. ......

　Angel was piqued and attached to me.
　As a child, Angel's body temperature is moderately high, and coupled with the softness of his body, he is everywhere.

I'll be with you all the way.

　My sleepiness was contagious.
　I was about to fall asleep, but I suddenly noticed something noisy outside the room.

　There was a lot of commotion outside the room.

　I wondered what was wrong, so I gently pulled Angel away and stepped out of the room.

"Hey, Mr. Alec.
Good morning Amelia. What's going on?

　As I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, I could hear the noise clearly and loudly.
　Amelia, the maid I encountered, also had a puzzled look on her face.

In fact, people are making a fuss about not being able to use magic.
"The magic?
As you know, Alec, some of the maids can use magic, and the master has given me permission to use it, as long as I can do it efficiently at work.
Yeah, I guess so.
All those people have been screaming in the morning about not being able to do magic.
"I can't do magic. ......

　I turned around and looked through the door in the direction of Angier, who was sleeping in the room.
　That reminds me that Angel wasn't able to use magic either.

　...... It's not a coincidence, something is going on.

　I tried to use my magic to see if I could.
　I held out my hand and made a ball of fire in my palm.
　It's rudimentary magic, flame-generating magic.

"Oh, great. So, Master Alec has a natural ability to use it.
No, not normally.
"Huh?
I also have half my magic power.

　What the hell is going on?

"Oh my God!

　I heard a scream from a distance .
　That voice ...... Mia?

　I ran out.
　Chasing screams, I ran through the corridors where the maids are in trouble.
　Then, right after I rounded two corners, I saw Mia's room door open and I went in.

What is it, Mia?
"Alec-sama--yaaaah!

　Mia screamed for the second time as her eyes met mine.
　She was in the room and she was in her underwear.

　She was wearing nothing else but luxurious, clean, white underwear.

　Mia hid it in her hands and screamed that I had seen it.

"I'm sorry Mia, I'm trying to--
What's going on--oh my.

　Likewise, Mia's screams invited my mother to come check on me.
　She looked at me and Mia from outside the room, and at the inside of the room for a while.

"Mm-hmm.

　And closed the door.

"That's not what I meant, mother!

　I flung open the door and ran out into the hallway, with a great shove.

　　　　　.

　I am with you in the Oval Office of the mansion, father.
　Amelia was in front of us and she reported with a troubled face.

The wizard is wiped out as usual. Master Mia's dress disappeared immediately after it was restored, and she is practically unwearable, so I prepared some everyday clothes for her. Also.
"And?
"Mr. Calamity has been absent due to illness.
Thank you. ...... It's Alec.
Yes, something is happening to interfere with the magic.
"What about Alec?
"I'm not sure I'm half as good as I usually am,

　And then let out a flame.


　It feels like a handicap, similar to running with lead on your hands and feet, but it doesn't completely disable your magic.

"Hmm, Alec's half?　Even half of Alec is heroic, but this is unacceptable.

　Your father was really upset with you.
　I wish you would at least make a joke out of those lines, but after ten years of being your son, I know that your father really thinks that.

What's the cause?
I don't know why. ......

　I looked around the room.
　I got up and went around the room in a circle.

"What is it, Alec?
This one is a little less affected.

　I stand in the corner of the room.
　I held a ball of flame out in the palm of my hand as if it were a candle, and I held it up as I walked toward the diagonal corner.

Mmm, the flames got smaller.

　Father grunts.
　The ball of fire has shrunk so small that it's even visible from the side.

So that's it, Alec, that's where it's coming from, isn't it?
Maybe.
"Amelia, I order everyone in the house to go in this direction and search everywhere.
I understand.
Wait.

　I called out to Amelia.

"What is it, Alec?
"Let the wizard go on the other side. If it's a single source, there's a good chance it's a circle. I might be able to go to the other side and determine the radius from which the magic is available.
"Oh my!　Well, that's great, Alec!
I understand.

　This time, Amelia left the office to deliver the order.

　After waiting long enough.

"Sir!　Dear Alec!
"You found me!
"Yes!　But ......
"Show me around.
"Yes!

　Led by Amelia, your father and I left the office and the house and landed in the garden.
　We walked into a small forest on the grounds of the mansion and found the house's servants lined up there.

Ah!　Dear Alec.
"It's Mr. Alec!
"Master Alec is here!

　A moment later, there was a great cheer from the servants.
　They all looked at me and cheered.

"Yes, yes.

　When your father saw this, he nodded his head with his arms folded in satisfaction.
　That's what most noblemen would be upset about, father.

　You'll be able to put off your commentary later and move forward in front of the servants.
　Beneath the forest's massive trees, there's a huge colony - a nest of worms.

　Coming out of the nest is a pill bug.

A pill bug!
"What are they doing wrong now?

　Father listened and I nodded quietly.

　The pillbugs were surrounded by broomsticks and broken swords and spears.
　It seems the servants have already tried and failed to kill them.

I believe this is the cause. The wizards measured the usable distance around the circle, and that's the center of it.
I see. Surely, pillbugs eat 'power' and this might be the cause.

　I said and took a step forward.

"Are you gonna do it, Alec?

　Father asked.

"Yeah, we can't just let it happen, can we?
I will. All right, get the drinks and snacks and I'll see how brave Alec is.

　Father is too relaxed ...... and it's too late to rush in, so I quietly stepped forward and went towards the pillbug nest.
　Sensing my approach, a bug flew at me.

　I clenched my fist and punched it.

　A slash with a punch.
　A punch that struck the bugs that were nesting in the countryside.

"--What?

　The punches didn't work.
　Pillbug was punched away, but it didn't slash.

　It used to be able to cut 100% of the time, but it didn't.
　No way was physics also .......

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

　I heard a woman laughing from inside the nest.
　Shortly after, a pillbug appeared, one bigger than the other pillbugs.

"We are no longer immune to physical attacks.


"...... Queen?

　Recalling the biology of insects, only one large, special female individual.
　The word "queen" came naturally to my mind.

How true. I am the queen of this hive.
What do you mean that physical attacks don't work?
I mean every word of it. We have evolved so that we are immune to all physical attacks. Yes, we evolved at the expense of my people who were killed by you.
"......

　Wordlessly rushes forward.
　Pick up the fallen sword and slash the insects.
　Grasp the spear and stab at it sharply.

　It's not responsive.
　Neither slash nor thrust is effective at all.

　The worms attack.
　More than one at a time jumped on me at once.

　I dodge and counter, swinging my punches as hard as I can.

　The punches certainly caught the bugs, but they didn't work at all, and I was rather pushed by them.
　I jumped sideways and ducked the bug's rush.

I said it was useless. We can no longer strike or slash with any physical attack. And like the scavengers who ate our bubbles to slay us, we've blocked magic from this range. We're invincible!

　The queen laughed loudly, and the insects echoed it.

Come on, humans, let's see the face of despair!
"The sausage is a little overcooked. Boiling is good, prepare more.
"I'll get right to it.
"...... What are you people doing!

　The queen was furious with your father, who was all relaxed and ordered the food.

You know what's going on!　You humans--

　Then your mother appeared.

"Oh my God, there you are!
Oh, just in time. You should see Alec in action.
"Oh,
Awwww, they're all a bunch of idiots!

　The queen is completely out of control.
　I feel a little sorry for her. No offense to your father, but that's just too much for me.

　But that doesn't make me feel sorry for him.

　You'll step between the insects that rush at your father and mother, and grab them.

"Move!

　The queen backed away in agony.
　She restrained a part of her body and looked astonished.

I'm melting. ...... It's magic.
"Yeah, magic
"Stupid, magic--
It's a shame, I'm still available.

　Bob ...... bobbing ...... bobbing .......

　The pillbugs around me went up in flames one by one and melted away .
　My magic power was cut in half by the effect of the pillbug's nest, so I locked onto all the bugs and shot my magic at them with pinpoint accuracy, thinking I couldn't waste my magic power.

　The Bug's Nest, a colony of bugs, was so huge that the number of bugs easily exceeded a thousand.
　I've pinpointed and burned them all.

"d*mn it. ......

　The last rushing queen also burned up in the middle of the rush and disappeared, leaving only the echoes of her screams.

"Mm, that's good, Alec,
"That's what I'm talking about, Alec.

　Both father and mother clapped their hands and praised me.
　Their flirtation was the same as always, light. Even though later investigation and analysis would show that the outbreak of the queen pillbug was disaster-grade.

"Oh my!　That's what I'm talking about, Alec!
Our hope, our pride.

　The tension of praise only increases, but I was still light on the groove.
　It's just easier to be comfortable like this.