A few days after I got caught up in the kidnapping incident.
　Since then, Suu and I have been seeing each other frequently ...... and have become friends.


　The reason I was able to get to know her so quickly was not only her friendliness, but also the fact that we had something in common. Suu and I can talk about magic at the same level, and she has the ability to construct her own original spells, so it is easy for us to talk about such things.


　In the first place, she also seems to be quite fond of magic and has knowledge of magic that Arx does not know.
　That's why we decided to study magic together when we have free time.


(I can't speak for others either, but he's a strange kid...)


　(I can't speak for anyone else, but he's a strange kid.) A kid this age is usually out playing around, but he's actively studying, and not just in his free time.
　Magical study is not as much fun as normal study because of the visible results, but it is still different.


　I wonder if this is what they call "friends call friends" in the men's world.
　Anyway, it was nice for Arx to have a friend to study with.
　It's hard to find a friend with whom you can mutually improve.
　I can't say that I am always pecked on the cheek or told that I have a pretty face.


　Anyway, on this day, Arx was struggling with the mark in his room in Raytheft's mansion.
　With a bottle filled with magic silver, a case filled with pigments, and a notebook with [arts glyphs], he confronted the engraver.


　As I have recently learned, engraving with hot magic power made by refining magic power is much better.
　Since the kidnapping, I have been actively working on refining magic power and controlling it so that I can control it in case of emergency.


　When handling it, you have to control it more closely than normal magic, so you have to concentrate all the time, but the fact that the effect is enhanced is great. In light of this, it is likely that the original engraving method did not bring out the full effect of the spell.


　This is my own new discovery, albeit a humble one.


(...... Someone may have already found it, though.)


　I'm a little bit happy these days that something I initially thought was a failure turned out to be a success.


　I was carving the engraving, feeling inwardly elated.
　Suddenly, a voice called out to me from behind.


"Brother?

What?


　I was so focused that I did not notice the visitor.
　The surprise created a hole in his concentration and he lost control of his magic. He managed to protect the small sword in his hand, but the magical silver flew all around.


　Droplets of magic silver scattered around the area, reflecting the light brightly.
　Lisha, the one who had taken him by surprise, hurriedly began to gather up the blown up items.


　And then.


"I'm sorry, brother!

"Oh, no. It's okay. It's okay.

I didn't know this was gonna happen. ......

Yeah, it usually does. Hahaha ......


　The fact that it blew up was mostly due to my own inexperience, so I feel bad when people apologize.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.


　...... Two years ago, he still had a lisp, but now he speaks fluently and his language is very good.
　It is essential for mages who need to chant spells correctly to be able to move their tongues smoothly, and it is also essential to acquire common language in order to learn [arts glyphs] and [ancient arts language]. This is probably the result of his education as the heir to a military noble family.


　She now prefers to wear her silver hair in a ponytail with a blue ribbon.
　Her sideburns are long. Her eyes look sleepy. She is a little smaller than Arx.
　She is wearing a white blouse, a blue skirt with frills, and sock garters.


　Risha tilts her head up and looks into my face.


Is it the Mark again today?

Yes.

You're very studious, my brother. You've already done it.

What about you, Lisha?

I've only just started studying magic. ......


　As for Lisha's magical education, it seems that she has been holding off until she is more secure. Or rather, I was too early. In the first place, it is said that it is common to start studying magic after the age of twelve, or fourteen at the latest.


Have you learned how to use magic yet?

No, not one yet.

I see.


　That's true. It took me more than half a year before Crabbe told me that I could use magic. It will probably take that long for Lisha, who has just started, to use magic for the first time.


"How about you, brother?　After all, how many more?

"Most of the basics. The other day, my uncle taught me how to use the flame-rune, so I can use it now.


"............ Brother, you are amazing.


　I'm not sure what to do with it.


Lisha's eyes lit up. "You'll be able to do it soon.

Yes!　Yes, I'll do my best!


　Yes, I'll do my best!" Lisha smiled brightly.
　At one time I feared that my parents might not like me because of my upbringing, but I am very grateful that they continue to treat me as they have.


　If it weren't for Lisha, I'd probably be a very desperate person.
　I continued to work for a while, explaining the mark to Lisha, but eventually she said goodbye and left the room, as if her time off was over.


　Now, it was time for me to clean up and take a break, so I used my magic to clean the room.


"......?


　The magic silver droplets that had just been blown away and scattered seemed to have moved somehow.


　This bothered me, so I stopped the spell, and the magical silver became smaller, as if the expanding liquid had returned to its original size.


　Inexplicably, when I used the spell again, it expanded as I expected.
　I'm using magic, but I'm not acting on the silver in any way.


"Could it be that it's reacting to magic ......?


　As far as I can see, it seems so.
　Then how did it become like that?
　The only thing I can think of is the outburst earlier.


　Magical Silver has never behaved in this way before.
　Then it is natural to think that the event ...... that happened in the meantime was caused by the outburst that blew up the magical silver.


　But if that's the case, what exactly was the effect of that outburst?


I was just using it for engraving, and I didn't cast any magic on it. If there was anything that affected the magic silver during the outburst, it was .......


　-Wrought hot magic.


　This is it. This is the only way. The only thing I can think of is that the magic silver was exposed to hot magic when it lost control and that's what happened.


　Yes, the engraving also exposes the silver to hot magic, but it's a very small amount. There has never been a time when magic silver has been exposed to such a large amount of raging hot magic as in the case of an outburst.


　Perhaps that's why the magical silver has transformed into something that looks a lot like magical silver.


But it's still expansion,.......


　So, what is the point?
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　The magic silver seems to be reacting to the magic power, and it expands little by little.
　When I stopped releasing it, it stopped expanding and shrank back to its original size.


　After a while, I was lounging around doing this, when I saw what was happening, I got an idea.


A thermometer. That's right!　A thermometer!


　The premonition of a great discovery struck Arx's body like a thunderbolt.