Our 'adventure' has begun.

　The pages are rolled up and the next - "The story of Fania, where the 'stealers of reason' we have yet to see are waiting for us". The point of view shifts to me and my master as we walk through the streets of Fania. We are baffled by the strange culture, but we gather information and we both hear gossip about a lone murderer - and then we hear about it.

　And I don't want to do that yet (・・・・・・・).

　Before that, I wanted to talk about 'just the time of the move'.
　That's the part that would be 'between the lines' in a book. In this instance, it's the space between "I started on the road that leads to Fania" and "The story of Fania, where the two 'reason-stealers' we haven't seen yet are waiting for us".

　It would be very true - as a book, it would be very true - that one line could be traced to the capital of another continent with a single turn of a page.
　But I'm not the only one to admit that.

　If all it takes is one word: "Moved," then there are zero travel fatalities anywhere. There would be no merchants or villagers suffering from damage caused by monsters. -- not for any decent reason, but because I've been a bookworm in the castle all my life, and the road was more fun than steep for me.
　And there was a spark of magic in it.
　In the 'lines' of movement, which were needlessly verbose, boring and frustrating, and the omissions were unavoidable, there were many elements (things) that were necessary for my real 'magic (...)'.

　So, the next scene was not in Fania, but in between.
　It will be an act of a city that was on the road, a city that won't even be named in history.

　-- Under the dark clouds of the 'Demon Poison', that devastated city was completely enveloped in thick darkness.

　A dirt road of unpaved filth stretched out underfoot, and on either side were rotten wooden houses that had not been repaired. There was a constant cloud of dirt and dust, and several crates and tool remnants were left in place.
　Honestly, it's a bit of a poorly built city compared to Hoosiers, where we were a few days ago.

　However, my mentor and I, exhausted from our trip, happily walked into the city, hoping to give our bodies a break.

　A few moments later, we would severely regret our rash actions.

　In the thick darkness of the city, a bellowing voice flashed through the air.
　It was full of words filled with malice, such as "Kill them all", "Don't let them escape", "Catch them and rape them", which made me want to close my ears at any moment. But I can't move my hand from my mouth to protect my throat from the dusty air. In fact, I want to protect my nose, which hurts from the strange smell, but I have no choice but to put up with that.

　At such a devastating situation, Master unintentionally utters his impressions of the city.

''--It's the worst (...)!　Ciara, that's enough!　It's no use, let it go!
Uh-huh. I get it!

　My master described it as "the worst" and I immediately nodded back - in fact, I was secretly enjoying (...) it.

　Now we were in the middle of a long journey where we had been attacked by monsters several times during the long journey, lost our carriage and luggage to a night thief, and were being entertained by a group of houndstooths in the city we had finally arrived in, and the opportunity to rest our bodies was far from over. But I was terribly excited about an experience I couldn't get in a book.

　I discovered that there was a lot of adventure in the ordinary 'between the lines'. Now the next time I read a book, the parts I can savor will be multiplied many times over.

　With these out-of-place thoughts in mind, I stop chasing after the man who is vomiting and puking at my feet and jump back in a big way.

　I really wanted to stun him after making him vomit blood, but it would be useless, as my master said.
　After all, this is the second man who has attacked us in double digits. There's no end to the number of times I've knocked him out and knocked him out from earlier.

''Over there!　Let's get out of here, Tiara!

　We ran out as fast as we could, out of the alleyway between the houses and onto the main street of the city.

　What we had just been attacked by was not an alley so narrow that the word "back" could be used to describe it.
　It was really just a bit off the main street of the city. But as soon as we got there, we were greeted with a rousing welcome by a group of strippers.
　I was amused by the lack of security in this city, and I looked at my master, who was muttering under his breath next to me.

''Hah, hah, hah ......!　Hey, why, why did you get attacked ......?　We've been pretty dirty on the road to this point and yet we're ....... It's not because of our age. Some of the current night thieves (those guys) were kids the size of Tiara. So why is this ......

　In the stagnant air, the master was reassessing his outfit and sorting out the situation.
　And I would interject my opinion as a local.

'It's not like we're the only ones who are special, I think all the travelers get attacked.　Even now, the stares are really awesome.

　Although we are walking down the open main street, we are not yet at ease.
　From the shadows, men with their faces hidden by dirty cloaks are watching us. We don't feel safe with the people on the street as we pass by. Everyone's eyes are bleary, and at the slightest hint they are about to go on a killing spree.

'Yeah, it looks like ....... d*mn, what is the richest trading city in the northeast: ......!

　Overwhelmed by the difference between the ideal and the reality, my master bit his lower lip and yelled at me, taking it out on me.

　Then he muttered to himself as he walked away from me. My eyes are starting to bleed, just like the rest of the people in the city, probably thanks to the rubbing of the welcome. It's kind of funny.

'Just walking around, the smell is so bad ....... Is this even a sewer system, let alone a water supply ......?　No. What was there, has stopped?　Everywhere the oil lamps are out. The occasional cobblestone is so cracked that you'd rather it wasn't there: ......

　The master goes on to analyze the state of the city.

　It's accurate. Not long ago, this city was famous for its trade, but due to the dark cloud of the Devil's Poison, the crops are difficult to grow, the trade routes have been crushed by the monsters, and the epidemic has spread to the area, making it look like this. It's a common story these days.

Hmmm. I'm sure it used to be a lot prettier, don't you think?　But it looks like you've been a bit lonely under the influence of that 'demonic poison'.
'It's not just a bit lonely, ....... This is already .......

　The Master slurred his words.
　He was afraid to say the rest of the story as long as there were still people living in the city. As for me, I think it's a city that can still be done, but not for him, apparently.

　The Master bites his lower lip again and shakes his face hard, as if he's about to cry.
　Then he regains his composure and talks constructively from the situation he has analyzed.

''I made the mistake of going off to the side to gather a bit of information. The only thing I've learned after all this is that the situation on the continent is so desperate that religion is strangely thriving.

　As I walked, I looked to either side of the main street.
　On the crack-strewn cobblestones, many beggars and sick people were on their knees, praying to the darkened heavens.

　Lives that weren't long anymore were looking to religion for their final salvation.
　However, the wording they uttered was quite disjointed. The objects of their prayers are scattered about, gods and spirits, and they're not unified.

'In Hoozeyer's, there was only the legend of Apostle-sama, but when you go out there, there are so many different gods! Surprise, surprise.
'As far as I can tell, many people pray to the indigenous gods?　And then there's the pattern of the disappearing sun and sky as a metaphor for God and calling out to him. Maybe we just don't know, but there are many more kinds of them: ......
'So, is Fania, the city we're going to, united into one religion?　Let's see, I believe it's ...... 'Teachings of the God of Fire'?
Yeah, that's right. It's called 'Altfelism', borrowing its name from the local fire god.
'Mmmm!　Yes, yes, yes, yes!　I can hear that name here and there from a while ago! And it's said that Fania's lord is the 'Prophet of the Flame God' who hears the voice of that flame god, Altoffel-sama. Oh, I'm so excited!　I wonder if that lord is like the apostles?

　My smile deepened and my heart swelled with anticipation of the unknown that awaited me on the journey.

　There were a lot of really fun stories mixed in with the information I had gathered to date.
　For example, there was a story about the lord creating a 'flame producing stone' and distributing a light source/heat source to the townspeople.
　Another story was about how he artificially created the 'time when the flame is not lit' to give thanks to the Flame God.
　When a group of knight-crumbling bandits attacked Fania, the lord intercepted them alone and burned all the bad guys with the blessings of his flame god.
　As a book lover, I'm looking forward to all of these stories.

　However, unlike me, the master will analyze it with a cold reaction.

'I guess I'm more interested in The Stone that Produces Fire than that ....... If that's true, it's a very bright place. I'm sure it's not as much of a chase as it is now.
Hmm?　What does the bright thing have to do with Mr. Chaser?
It's very relevant. The darker the city, the lower the bar for evil. That's why lights are such a great source of civilization and vitality.
Oh, yeah?

　My master assured me that this knowledge was probably a quote from some literature I'd heard somewhere.

　I nodded, but I doubted it. I think there is a more fundamental reason why this city is overrun with people who are chasing each other. Even if all the dark clouds of this world were to clear and the world of light were to return, people's malice would not disappear so easily.

''Then it means the next city is a lively and fun place to live! I have a feeling it's going to be fun!''

　But we talked together.
　The secret to a long journey is to respect each other without needlessly clashing opinions.
　Nope, this is another quote from the book, but I don't care about that.

I have a bad feeling about this: ....... Right now, we're meeting with the Stealer of Fire and the Stealer of Darkness, this religion of the Fire God. I have a feeling we're going to be involved in something.

　My mentor keeps repeating negative statements, but I have a really good feeling about it.

　Religion is my kind of subject matter. I'm also waiting for someone I like. Then there's a good chance that a story of my liking will be spun.

　Seeing my smile of anticipation, the Master chuckles and moves forward, raising his face from its tendency to turn to the ground.

''Anyway, let's get out of the city quickly. Because there's no reason for us to stay in this city for much longer.
'Right. ...... You're not looking for a place to stay, so you're camping out?
Oh, I don't want to be attacked in my sleep. I'll use my Dimensional Power - Dimension to prevent those guys from following me.

　Saying that, the master uses the power he received from Apostle-sama (the master, who was stressed out on this road, out of control, named the "Power of Dimension" as 《Dimension》. He seems to like it so much that he's ready to spread it to everyone when he gets back), and it oozes from his body and permeates the entire city.

　The master said that his power was only an extension of his scouting ability, but after hearing the explanation, I could only think of it as 'the power to know everything'.
　That's how foul it is in the 'power of dimension' without question. The power to make the world do as you wish--

　However, when using that mighty power, Master always distorts his face.

''Ha--!

　Now Master understood the entire city with the 'power of dimensions'.
　He saw how it was built, who was where and what they were doing.

　Naturally, there are many things in this unsafe city that we shouldn't see.
　Around the back alleyway, which we have yet to see, there must be a sight to behold. Further back, there must be some of the out-of-the-way sights that only this dark world can offer. My siblings had a bad guy who would kidnap and play with the village girls in the city and feed them to the beasts. Master, who must have seen something close to that, put his hand over his mouth.

''Master?　Are you okay?

　I look into my master's face, who looks like he's about to throw up.
　But soon enough, Master smiles a fake smile and shakes his head, saying he's fine.

...... okay. It's a little bit drunk, this...is it the awful feeling of 3D sickness?
Suri-dee-ii?　Mmm, it's a word not translated by Sister Yotaki.
It's like getting seasick. ...... Or better yet, let's get out of here.

　Master is kind.
　He cares for me, a younger man, and never speaks of the scene he would have just witnessed.
　He would try to stay thin and try to look the same as he always did, and he would back off from me.

　I couldn't stand the sight of him forcing himself on me.
　More than being very kind or sincere or a good person, I love it because my mentor is desperate.

　I pretend not to notice anything, squeezing back Master's cold hand and following behind him.

　We move quickly through the main street and out of the city, out of sight of anyone else, to the forest.
　As much as possible, he chooses a place away from the beaten path and even fewer monsters, aiming for the ideal encampment that only the 'Stealers of Dimensional Reason' can find.

　After nearly several hours of travel, we stopped at an open area in the forest.

'Okay, we're safe here.'

　Trusting that master's judgment, I immediately begin to make preparations.

　I make an enclosure for the fire and take out an iron pot and a leather water bottle from the jute bag I carry on my back. For now, I'm very thirsty, so I dictatorially give priority to drinking water. In parallel, Master sets up sound traps - simple naruko (naruko) - around the perimeter. I've experienced the painful consequences of relying too much on 'spellcraft' and 'dimensional power'.

　Perhaps remembering his experience at that time, the master mutters.

''Haha ....... I miss the carriage life .......
'Moo, Master. Don't say that. I haven't got anything left to give.
I'm sorry ....... But I still wish I'd known a little sooner then. ......

　As we prepared, we remembered an event that happened not long ago.
　It was a few days after our departure from the castle of Hoozeyer's. This was when we were still in the appearance of a royal representative, riding in a luxurious carriage and surrounded by many guards.

　-- in conclusion, the carriage we were riding in was destroyed by the night robbers.

　I thought that these people would be more careful to attack us to sell off the carriage, but the reality was that they didn't.
　In hindsight, I guess they predicted that we and our group were carrying something more valuable than a carriage because of how well dressed we were. In fact, if they had been able to kidnap me and my master, they could have picked up all the ransom money they wanted from the Hoosiers' royal family.

　We left Hoosiers in high spirits, but in just a few days we lost most of the supplies we needed for the trip.

　And at that point, we asked all the surviving attendants and soldiers to return home.
　Without a carriage, they would be attacked by monsters more often than not. And yet, those soldiers, who didn't benefit much from the 《Level Up》, were willing to protect us even if it meant their lives. Avoiding a needless death, we half-heartedly chose to travel alone, giving them orders.

　Even now, I'm not sure if I made the right choice.
　In the absence of adults who are used to traveling, everything is fumbling. Soon our wallets were ripped out of our wallets wherever we went, and when we stayed at an inn, the landlord took our belongings, and we were now relegated to a journey where we had to rely on a few gold coins.

　If it weren't for the fact that Master hadn't hidden gold coins all over his body, we wouldn't have the pots and pans, water, and roasted beans that we now prepare for ourselves.

　-- and I finish reminiscing about the time I personally had a terrific time, and finish preparing the meal.

　I built a bonfire with a light 'spell', drank the boiled water, took time to chew the beans and get comfortable.

'Feng ......'
Mmm, not so good.
Hey, Tiara. It's you. ......

　My master was too concerned to voice his complaints, but I didn't hesitate to let them out as my thoughts.
　I was immediately poked and prodded by Master, who laughed bitterly and proceeded to prepare for sleep in the slightly lighter air.

'Then let's take turns sleeping shallowly as usual, shall we?
'Yes. Today is fire night from me, isn't it?
...... Oh, before that. I'll give you the ones I've been putting together at night. Try it out while you're awake.

　With that, the master took out a crudely bound book from his burlap sack. It was an expensive and sturdy 'blank bundle' that he had taken out of the Hoozeyards' castle.

　He took it and looked at the contents.
　There was a lot of writing on it that I had never seen before. It is not the Japanese language of my master's world. If anything, it's closer to our language. The shape is strangely misshapen, but I don't think it's impossible to force it to be read - it's a strange character.

'What is this?'
'It may seem a bit odd, but it's a book that I've written about all of the 'art formulas' up to today, all in one place.
'Oh, that's a 'jutsu': ....... Hmm, is that an abbreviation?
'Yeah, it's a simplified version of a long word. It's got 'chanting' in it as well, and I've already 'paid for it', so watch out. ...... I tried that prepayment (...) you mentioned before.
What, already?　Does that include the one you're talking about?

　Truly, Master is quick to work.
　The fact that it includes not only the 'jutsu formula' but even 'chanting' means that he has everything necessary to activate the 'spell'. Suddenly the book I was holding felt heavy and dangerous.

''I've been experimenting with it a bit over the past few days. I think I've made each letter inscribed in the book more powerful. I think just by holding it, I think it will enhance Tiara's 'spellcraft': .......
I get the gist of it. So, what does it say and how does it work?
'Well, those pages are the 'compensation' for the 'witchcraft' of fire. It's got words written on it that are fueled by emotions.
'That's what I'm writing in these gnarly, weird letters. Sure, there are some letters that look like hearts and flames and stuff, but ......
'I've simplified it to the limit of its limitations. For example, this character means not only fire, but also passion. It would have required one sentence, but this way I could cram it into one character. And there's something else too--

　Very happily, the master begins to explain these coined words. I know the conversation is going to be very long when this happens, so I decide to end it as early as possible.

'So, you mean they're Master's original letters!　That's great, Master!
'What?　No, it's more like the original ....... One of the images of magic in my world, like a magic (rune) letter, is ....... When I use magic or something like that, I thought it would sound like that when I saw those letters come to mind, so I came up with .......

　When I plunged in, my mentor bristled.
　It seems that Master has taken an idea from somewhere else again. Maybe it's because of his serious roots, but it's easy to see the guilt on his face right away.

　However, from my point of view, it's not so much of a concern.
　Leaving my master, who continues to make strange excuses, I read a book.
　I lightly manipulated the 'Demon Poison' in my body and poured it into the book, and the letters began to glow. At the same time, the flames that were burning in front of me flickered slightly.

''Oops. Even I, who's not very good at 'spellcasting', was able to do it, Master. I feel like the bonfire in front of me is getting stronger.''
''Good. If you practice this, one day Tiara will be able to use a strong 'spell' for combat.
...... Even if you can't use it separately, though, it's strong with your bare hands. Me.
'You can't be like that forever when you're dealing with monsters too, can you?　Honestly, I've been worried about it for a long time.

　When fighting monsters, the master fights from a distance and uses 'spellcraft' to manipulate something. I only fight at close range because hitting is the quickest way to fight. Master didn't seem to be pleased with that way of fighting.

''Hmm. So you've been writing books at night all the time lately. ...... You don't need to do that, I'm strong enough to do that.

　I thought he didn't trust me, and my mouth twitched a bit.
　Seeing this, my master lightly said "sorry" and then continued to speak. With his black twin eyes hidden underneath his slightly longer bangs, he stared at me with his black twin eyes, and then slowly--

'I know Tiara is strong. Still, I don't want to see Tiara get hurt as much as possible. ...... Before I left on my journey, I swore I would protect Tiara. So I want you to use that book for my sake.

　He said that without any embarrassment.
　That 'ideal' complaint startled me and made my heart beat faster.

'......!!!'

　I reply, trying not to let them read the faint emotions in my mind.

'............. Then I'll be grateful to use it. But I think the only person who will probably be protected is my master, right?　Even the chase off earlier was basically me beating him down.
'Yes, ....... I think I'm going to make Tiara do all kinds of dangerous things. Sorry.
''I don't care that Master is helping me with that, because he's helping me with 'spellcraft'!　I told you from the beginning that the roles are divided!

　The master studies and I practice.
　The rear guard and the vanguard.
　Undoubtedly, this is the best form and has produced the best results.

　Yet, it seems that Master still wants to stand in front of me and fight myself.
　All of my power is due to my master's 'spellcasting', yet he doesn't seem to be trying to boast about it at all.

　I laugh, thinking it's very much like my master.
　Seeing me laughing that many times, Master narrows his eyes dazzlingly and begins to mutter.

'...... Oh. Really, it's good to have a tiara with you.

　The words were like vomit from the bottom of my stomach.
　It was immediately clear to me that it was the real intentions that my master had been holding onto all along.

'Tiara is bright ....... That cheerfulness has always helped me. I shudder to think what it would be like if it weren't for Tiara. Thank you so much, Tiara .......

　I'm bright ......?
　Oh, really, the master has been ...... for a while now.

　Do you think that this situation where the two of you are camping together alone is just a normal, everyday act? If it's a book, do you think it's 'between the lines' that's not worth noting?　--I'm not. I've been feeling hot and unbearable in my chest for a while now. I don't know how red my face is getting. I can't predict it anymore.

　I turn my face away and use this dark world to hide my emotions and reply.

'We're both there. The light to me is my master!
'I see. ....... Then let's keep working together ....... Until the end (・・・・), we'll all be together ......--

　With those last words, the Master wrapped himself in his cloak, put the tree behind his back, and meditated.
　His exhaustion had reached its limit and he must have gone into a sound sleep instead of a nap.

　I know that for the past few days, he had been going around helping people "level up" every time he took his eyes off the ground. I tolerated that sleep, watched it, and called out "good night".

　Then, with a grimace, I ruminated on Master's words that I spilled because I was in a daze earlier, added them to the collection of Master's quotes in my mind, and then looked down at the book in my hand.

''Shucks, a book that's already been 'compensated'. It seems that if I have this, I can use 'spellcasting' for combat like my master, but ....... This--

　It's too big for nothing.

　The monstrous binding is so thick that you can't grab it with one hand. This makes it difficult to hold it in one hand while fighting. I could forcefully pick at the edges hard, but the book probably wouldn't be able to withstand my grip.

　I need something smaller and more durable.

'An ore about the size of the palm of your hand or ......?　I hope a good clue can be found in Fania's "The Stone that Creates Fire": ....... 'Budding Nativity Flame', 'Cut-off Flame' --

　Even if I 'chanted' at random, the letters only emitted light and nothing was lost from me.
　In other words, my master paid the 'price' for every page of this thick book as he traveled.

　I flipped through it.
　There are roughly a hundred pages packed with characters.

　He must have written this much with a single-minded desire to protect me.
　Even though he was physically inferior to me in the 《Level Up》 in terms of physical ability and cut me off, leaving all the rough stuff to me, I can see that he kept searching for alternatives. The result of that is this book.

　That's what I love about it - chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp.

'Really Master is ......'

　I'd like to see a group of nighttime thieves attack us.
　Right now, I can turn them all into firebrands with my latest 'spellcasting' technique.

　However, contrary to my expectations, the forest is really quiet.
　Not even a night burglar or a monster could be seen. The camp chosen by the Stealer of Dimensionality was perfect, and all I could hear were the cries of insects.

　I finish reading silently, and I'm left with nothing to hand.
　I flip through the book with my hands, but there's nothing more interesting to look at.
　The vigilance is important to show people that I'm awake, and it's not something that keeps me on my toes that much. So, I--.

Alright, I'm free. I've got to write something.

　I begin to write on the next blank page what I noticed today.
　It's a string of characters from this world, unlike my master's unique language. But with all my heart and soul, I write down the words as hard as my master does.

　This book is now a unique work of "Gentile".
　Then it is my duty to adapt and improve it for this world.
　That's the first promise I made in Hoozeyards' castle.

　I continue to think about the continuation of the view I was thinking about earlier.

　--books are too expensive for this idea.

　Paper may have been inexpensive in my master's world, but it's too valuable in this world, which has entered the Dark Ages.
　In the future, the 'spellcraft' needs to become a substitute that everyone in the world can use comfortably, not just special races such as 'gentiles', 'apostles' and 'royalty'.

　If that's the case, the cheapest thing in our world should be the one to write in the "Jutsu-shiki".
　The method of writing should be understandable not only to specific people like Master and me, but also to the general public. The end goal is the whole world (・・・・), so the methodology needs to be appropriate.

　Ideally, something stronger and bigger than a stone.
　Something longer lasting and deeper than a book.
　Something shorter and easier to understand than language, which is much broader than language - and much more expansive.

　I added the annotations of the magic (rune) letters that my master had made to the blank pages.
　Gazing at the sleeping face of my master next to me, the work, though monotonous, was soothing to me.

　I loosened my mouth and floated away, continuing to write my book in front of the fire.
　It is as if I am in the midst of a story and yet I am spinning a tale, and it brings me enough excitement to blow away the fatigue of travel and insomnia.

'Huh, hmmm, haha, hihihi--'

　Now I am in a story. I don't have a title yet, but I'm certainly writing my story, by me, for me. And then--!

'Shhhhhh, ....... Shishou, Master Master Master Master. Master Master, Master Master Master--

　Aikawa Kanami is there.
　I called her over and over again in a whisper, watching her sleeping face.
　I carefully read and savored every second and every letter of this story.

　This is how I crossed the 'line' of my journey, nurturing the spark of 'magic (...)' a thousand years later.

　After savoring and savoring the mere travel time, I finally roll up the pages and move on to the next - the story of Fania, where the "Stealers of Reason" are waiting for the yet-to-be-seen "Stealers of Reason".
　Arriving at the main part of the journey, the point of view becomes me and my mentor as we walk through the streets of Fania.