Chapter 8

"Father, Father, what should we do? There are so many books! So many more than at home! What should we do? Should I not read them? Should I not read this one?"

"Liz, calm down. It's fine to read them, but let's take care of our business first."

Father had brought me to the magic academy within the castle. It felt more like a separate building outside the castle rather than inside it. The magic academy seemed to be treated as an external department, but it was still a direct organization under the king.

The most important thing, and the most crucial thing, was that the magic academy had a wall full of books on magic. The library I had just entered didn't have much on magic; it was mainly about the world and history, which didn't really excite me. I do like ordinary books, of course, but the magic books I longed for were truly special.

Father immediately asked a staff member to guide us to this room... Yes, this place is heaven.

Just look, the books on magic are lined up, covering the walls. There are so many, even ones that I can't understand yet. I've read all the ones I could at home, so the sight before me is quite thrilling.

Father saw my eyes shining and chuckled. He knows best that I love these kinds of books.

"Ah, sorry, I couldn't help it."

"Well, I expected this. ...Come, Liz. Let's go to the back."

Father led me by the hand, and there was a door at the back. It looked sturdy, as if something important was inside.

"Father, what is this...?"

"Behind that door is the magic power measurement stone. You just need to pour all your magic power into it. Ah, it's quite valuable, so don't break it."

Father patted my shoulder and laughed, saying it wouldn't break even if I hit it with a hammer or dropped it from the top of the magic academy. Please stop, Father, that's just setting up a flag. It's a flag that I'll break it.

I felt a bad premonition and my cheeks twitched. Father laughed and pushed me from behind. If it breaks, I won't be responsible, really.

"Will it really not break?"

"Don't worry, it's designed to accumulate and shine with magic. It's valuable, but it's not something that can't be mined."

...I really won't be responsible, you know.

"Will I pour my magic power into this?"

I was led into the room and handed a chunk the size of an adult's fist. It was a glossy black stone, larger than both my hands, and quite heavy, making it quite difficult to hold. It was beautiful, but it just looked like a regular stone.

It seemed to have been placed on a pedestal, and there was a platform in the center of the small room. ...It looked expensive, very expensive.

"Yes. Stand in front of that pedestal... at the center of the array, and pour your magic power into it."

Father said this with a smile, but I was very hesitant. I have a tendency to mess things up, after all. After all, I'm Father and Mother's child. Do they even realize their own talents?

Father looked at me with a smile, full of expectation. He probably expects that his child is amazing. ...I have to live up to those expectations, right?

Although I wasn't as enthusiastic as when we arrived, I did as I was asked and started to pour my power into the stone.

I don't know what to call it, so I'll call it a touchstone. I slowly poured my power into the touchstone. As the child of my parents, I should have talent. Probably.

I took a deep breath and synchronized it with my exhale, channeling magic power through my palms and the surface of the touchstone. I moved the magic power along the flow of my blood, letting the touchstone absorb it. Blood is often called the source of magic. Is it more accurate to call it the source of life?

Magic power resides in the blood. It flows endlessly, manifesting as magic when released externally. ...Well, that's what I read in books. Magic power also has an organ of origin, ...somewhere in the brain. This organ converts the magic elements in the air into magic power, which is then accumulated in the body, and eventually in the blood. It's like a capacitor and a transformer. They perform such roles.

My high potential, as seen by others, is that my capacitor, transformer, and battery have an extraordinary capacity. To convert, I need to use my own generated magic power.

I can process a large amount of magic elements in the air and store them in large quantities. The amount I can handle at once is also extraordinary. I apparently have the potential to perform parallel processing of magic. This is based on Father's judgment, though. I take it with a grain of salt because he's a bit of a parent-biased person. According to him, I have cheat-level stats, which even I find surprising. I wonder how Father could make such a judgment.

"Liz! Your hands, your hands!"

"...My hands?"

While lost in thought, I heard Father's urgent voice from a distance.

When I returned to reality and looked at my palms, ...oh no, what should I do, it's melting. Not my hands, but the stone.

"Father, does this count as breaking it?"

"Why are you so calm, Liz! Stop pouring magic power!"

I know, I know, I stopped the flow of magic power and stared at the liquid that had accumulated in my palms.

It didn't seem to be overflowing, but the hard touchstone was nowhere to be seen. The solid mass had turned into a fluid. The black liquid had transformed into a milky white liquid, sometimes shimmering with a rainbow of colors, like an opal. I didn't really want such a special ability. What a cheat.

"Father, a container."

"A, a container!? Just wait, I'll get one!"

It wouldn't be good to let it overflow, I thought, as I looked at the liquid-filled touchstone in my hands, and Father hurriedly left. This situation was unexpected for both Father and me.

I had to wait for Father to return, so I focused on the milky white liquid in my hands.

...Why did the stone melt? It would take hundreds or thousands of degrees to melt a mineral, but my palms weren't hot at all.

The touchstone had turned into a viscous liquid, beautiful like an opal. Personally, I like the rubies I inherited from Father, but it's not like I can complain to the touchstone.

"Liz, a container!"

"A, Father."

What should I do, I wondered, when Father dashed back with a container and an obviously important-looking elderly man. This is the lecture pattern, I thought.

The elderly man, who I believe was Master Georg, almost fainted when he saw the liquid touchstone in my hands, but Father supported him, saying, "Master Georg, hold on!" I really am sorry.

Father brought a container... someone must have been drinking during work, as he used a wine glass to transfer the touchstone. As it left my hands, the white touchstone gradually turned black and regained its shape as a mineral. It seemed to have shape memory.

Father looked beyond surprised, almost stunned, and gave me a half-lidded look, as if to say, "You did this, didn't you?" It made me sad to see that look.

"...Liz"

"I just did as I was told, pouring magic power, that's all."

I didn't do anything strange. I just followed the instructions, and it melted. It was quite a surprise.

The elderly man, Master Georg, frowned and looked at me with a troubled expression.

...Chill.

A strange, unpleasant air brushed against the back of my neck, and a slight, needle-like pain ran through it. I instinctively rubbed the back of my neck, trying to figure out the source... but I already knew what it was.

...Really.

I wish adults wouldn't do that, sending such vibes. I can understand it to some extent, though. I can guess what they're thinking, especially with older, stubborn people whose thoughts are quite straightforward.

But even if I realize it now, I don't know if they'll act on it, and I don't have concrete evidence. It might just be my paranoia, and I hope it ends there.

If so, it's best to act like a child.

"...Liz, let's call it a day for today. I have a bit more work to do, so I'll stay here."

"I understand. ...It's dangerous to go home alone, so can I not read books?"

I spoke a little more slurred than usual, and Father noticed the subtle change and looked suspicious... but he seemed to agree with my reasoning and nodded. If Father was here, nothing should happen.

I kicked away Master Georg's unpleasant aura and left the room, pretending to be innocent.

Adults are scary, really.