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“――And so, that’s the situation. The necessary materials are insufficient, but I intend to use substitutes.”
“Substitutes… are they feasible?”
“Yes, though the quality will drop, it’s not impossible. It’s a desperate measure, but it’s better than sitting idly by.”
“I see… As expected of you, Master, you’re so smart!”
“Don’t get carried away; there’s no guarantee of success. The preparations will take time too, alright? First, we…”

“…Did she say substitutes?”

After a heavy silence, the words that reached me through the magical device were ones I could not ignore.

The fact that there was someone with the knowledge to concoct a remedy for the Magic Crystallization Syndrome was already unexpected, but to think she could fabricate it with substitute ingredients?

It was impossible. Perhaps for mild symptoms, but the poison I crafted was a work of art. There was no way it could be treated with substitutes that lacked so many essential components.

“But, if it actually could be done…”

It was 99% impossible, yet that lingering 1% of doubt remained. If I couldn’t assert absolute certainty, that crack could weaken even the most impregnable fortress.

After coming this far with the plan, I had no desire to face the wrath of the client. That yapping, high-pitched voice was enough to give me a headache. Honestly, I went out of my way to keep the young lady clean of blood, yet this wizard dared to disregard my goodwill.

“The possibility must be eliminated. I must have Lady Syntu acquire it. All to secure that power—”

Disrupting the market was a small price to pay for the objective. Once Lady Syntu’s child became the head, the rewards would be abundant. But if anyone else became the head, everything would be for naught. Therefore, even the smallest pebble couldn’t be allowed to obstruct the plan.

“It’s unfortunate, but this so-called instructor must be dealt with… permanently.”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“…Master, are you really sure about this?”
“There’s no such thing as a foolproof plan, but I’ll do my best to get as close to 100% as possible. Now, go talk to that perverted guild staff.”
“Oh, right! I’m off then!”

With a lively reply, Momo’s figure skillfully leaped from rooftop to rooftop, gradually growing smaller as she moved through the city. Every time, I couldn’t help but marvel at her ability to move like that without any magical assistance. Where did she get that boundless energy from?

“Instructor, is there anything I can help with…?”
“No, don’t worry about it. Your job is to stay calm and composed. The best thing you can do is not to let them sense what we’re up to.”

The lady, who had come all the way to the gate to see us off, had a face drained of color. The stress from everything that had happened, combined with the anxiety over what was to come, must have been pushing her to the brink. It would be too cruel to burden her any further.

“Don’t worry, at the very least, this move will take care of Syntu. I’ll make sure to cure Stell’s illness too, so please, just wait a little longer.”
“…Please.”
“Master! I brought Ms. Hoshikawa!”
“Whaa…? Where am I…? Why was I brought here…?”
“Quick work. Let’s get started, then.”

✦✧✦✧✦

“…Yeah, it’s a nice night. It’s a shame about that tower ruining the view.”
“What’s up with that tower anyway? It’s great that it helps with understanding languages, but still…”

Under a cloudless night sky where stars twinkled, I glared at the shadow of Babel, which soared as if splitting the heavens. The presence of a shadow implied a tangible form, and while I was curious about the power surpassing magecraft and magic that unified human languages, I needed to focus on the immediate task at hand.

“Master, Stell is also asleep. We should hurry up and move on with the preparations.”
“Zzz… Zzz…”
“Ah, right. But please wait a little longer. I want to expose the herbs to a bit more starlight.”
“Are you sure this is going to work? It seems a bit dubious to me.”
“I don’t like relying on charms, as if I were a sorcerer, but considering the rough approach of using substitutes for the materials, I want to increase the success rate as much as possible.”

Spread out on the burlap in the meadow were various weeds that, in their original state, wouldn’t be usable for treating Magic Crystallization Syndrome. The substitutes that followed the original recipe made up less than 20% of the total; even if mixed, the result would be a different product.

…However, I believed this time it would yield better results than usual.

“Momo, get the fire going for the pot. You’ve learned how to light it by now, right? I heard from Nova.”
“Eep, I can only make a tiny flame…”
“There’s dry straw, so it should catch fire easily. Let’s see what you can do.”
“Eek… I’m so nervous…”

Despite her awkwardness with one hand uninjured, Momo managed to create a flame as small as a candle’s. It was still clumsy, but it was enough to burn the straw and light the firewood.

“Fire started, good! How is it…?”
“2 points.”
“Yay! So out of three points!”
“Out of a hundred, idiot. Your movements are so slow that they’re making me yawn, and your output is far too unstable. Your magical power is also thin, so you need plenty of repetitive practice. You need to make it second nature.”

It took over five seconds from the ready stance to lighting the fire, and the magic power ran out quickly, leaving a flame barely suitable for lighting a cigar. At this rate, it was far from acceptable.

Given that Outlanders typically have almost zero stored magical power, it was to be expected. Looking on the bright side, there was potential for improvement in the future, but who knew when she’d return to her original world.

“That’s harsh… So, what are we doing with the boiling water?”
“Oh, we’ll use the strained juice from boiling the herbs. Besides that, fire is often used for roasting and such.”
“Roasting? Roasting the herbs? Won’t they burn?”
“Yes, the herbs will burn. That’s why we’re roasting something else, like—the scoundrel lurking over there.”
“———!”

At that moment, the space right next to us wavered like a mirage.

A subtle distortion that could be mistaken for a trick of the eyes if you weren’t paying attention. However, without missing a beat, Momo darted out and captured the distorted space.

“Hello, nice to meet you. Just to confirm, who are you?”
“…Strange, when did you notice?”

―Emerging from the shimmering space was a tall man with long, wavy blonde hair.