Night, in front of the transporter room.

　The transporter gate glowed and my mate Celeste returned.

'Welcome home.'
I'm home. What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here.
I've been waiting for Celeste.
Me?

　Celeste's cheeks flushed slightly in surprise.

'Yeah, I need a favor from Celeste. I need your help.
All right. Where is it?
Shouldn't you be asking me about it?

　I laughed at Celeste for answering too quickly, as expected.

　Even if she refused, I was going to bite back and somehow convince her, but this result was a bit surprising.

''I trust you, Lyota-san,''

　Celeste smiled serenely.
　I was glad of that trust, which was why I felt I had to say it first.

'There may be a downside. There may not be, but there may be. I need your help to make sure that's included.
Yeah, I get it.

　Celeste still answered immediately.
　I don't see an ounce of hesitation in it.
　You trust me that much ...... Honestly, there's no chance that there will be any disadvantages, so I hesitated on the contrary.

　You saw through that.

'Mr. Lyota,'
What?
'I have received countless things from Lyota-san. If I hadn't met Mr. Ryota, I probably wouldn't be around anymore.

　I think back to the first time I met Celeste.
　She was wearing out and wobbling around in a job that was subtly unsuitable for her.

　She was like me when I was in my former world.
　It's never an exaggeration to say that I may not be in this world.

　Celeste says she's grateful for that.

"......

　Then I decided I wouldn't hesitate.

'All right. If there's a disadvantage, I'll take care of it, too. So cooperate with me.
Yes, sir.

　Celeste nodded, secretly happy.

'So, where do you want me to go?'
I like the fact that you can just bang out your magic without getting in the way.
That's a good point.

　　　　　★

　It was nighttime on the outskirts of Cyclo, in the open air, away from the city, where there was nothing but darkness, and that was the only place where it was bright.

　He wondered why it was so bright, but as he got closer, he realized why.

　A rock.
　Rocks that emitted light, arranged in a circle, brightening the place.

'What is this?'
It's Arsenic's monster, Filament Rock.
Oh, I see. A shiny rock.
'Yeah, it glows and doesn't work, and I place it because people rarely come here. And that.

　Celeste points to a remote location.
　There was a plop, another rock-shaped monster that didn't emit any light.

''Is that ...... Absolute Rock?''
Yeah.
I see, so this is where you usually train.
That's what I'm talking about, Ryota-san. You're easy to spot.

　Celeste smiles at me.

　Like Emily, Celeste is getting stronger and stronger after a while of not looking at her.
　That strength isn't based on level and ability, but on skill and ideas, as well as repetitive training.

　I've been trying to avoid asking about intrusive things, so I didn't know until now, but it seems that he was training here against that absolute rock.

'It doesn't matter how much magic you use in here.
Yeah.
What does Mr. Lyota's request have to do with that package?
Yeah.

　I lowered the bag I'd brought from the mansion to the ground.
　I opened the bag like a potato party opener and showed Celeste what was inside.

'This is a magic fruit ...... so much.'
It cost me 30 million pounds.

　I didn't want to waste time going to the dungeon to collect them, so I used the money I earned to scrounge up inventory all over Cyclo.

'And what's this on the Podapurnau board ......?'

　Celeste wondered about the small seed near the magic fruit.
　'What she doesn't know about, the knowledgeable one, is the seed I took with the back nihonium, the one that makes magic disappear.

'Try this one first,'
How?
Hold and remind.
Okay, I'll go to .......

　Celeste, who reminded me with the seeds in her hand as she was told, immediately huffed and turned her startled face to me.

'How did it go?'
She said the magic she made me learn once was gone.
Oh, so you know what's missing and not just the numbers.
...... I see that's what you mean.

　Celeste understood my intentions.
　No more explanations seemed to enter the picture.

　Celeste took the magic fruit and ate it.

'Lightning, this is a level one lightning spell.

　そう言ってから、おもむろにポータブルナウボードを取って、そのまま使った。

―――１／２―――
レベル：５４／５４
ＨＰ　Ｄ
ＭＰ　Ａ
力　　Ｅ
体力　Ｅ
知性　Ａ
精神　Ａ
速さ　Ｅ
器用　Ａ
運　　Ｃ
―――――――――

　セレストの能力が表示された。

　前にも見た、カンストした彼女の能力だ。

　何一つ変わらない
　実質二つ目(、、、)の魔法の実なのに、何一つ変わってない。

　下がるはずのレベルが下がっていない。

「次行くわ」
「ああ」

　完全に理解しているセレストは種を使ってライトニングを消し、更に魔法の実を使った。

「フォトン、レベル２の光の魔法ね」

　そして、またポータブルナウボードを使う。

―――１／２―――
レベル：５４／５４
ＨＰ　Ｄ
ＭＰ　Ａ
力　　Ｅ
体力　Ｅ
知性　Ａ
精神　Ａ
速さ　Ｅ
器用　Ａ
運　　Ｃ
―――――――――

　能力はまったく同じだ。

　魔法の実は原則一個しか使えない。
　二つ目以降は魔法を更に覚える代わりに、レベルの最大値が１下がる。
　能力も相応に下がるから、ギャンブル性が高すぎて実質使えないものだ。

　それを、事実上克服した。
　裏ニホニウム二階の、魔法消去の種。

「すごいわリョータさん、クジを当てるまで引き直し続ける感じよ」
「ああ」

　セレストはクジと言ったが、俺の感覚はちょっと違う。
　一回限りのガチャを、当たりが出るまで引き直せる。

　そんな組み合わせだ。