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Narrow Sense of Distance
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“Welcome to Paradise Cyans.” (Medna)
In the darkness, Medna-san whispered to me. Tristan had said there were three organizations involved in the kidnapping incident. The Melpeque Church’s Holy Knights, the Dali Amor Guards, and the Light Droplet Orchestra. In any case, the involvement of the orchestra’s people was definitively clear.
“What is your name?” (Medna)
I couldn’t find the words. The woman who healed my wounded heart, the woman who taught me the joy of music. I never imagined she was part of the kidnapping group. Looking back, there had been many suspicious signs.
“Are you nervous? Well, you’ll get used to it soon.” (Medna)
*Snap*
Medna-san snapped her fingers to get my attention. Then her red eyes began to glow eerily. However, after a moment, the glow weakened and gradually faded. Medna-san had stopped it.
“You…” (Medna)
She made a gesture as though she had realized something.
Could it be that my disguise had been exposed? Had she figured out that I was Jack?
“…Heh, then we’ll proceed to the next part of the baptism. Come closer.” (Medna)
What was that little chuckle? Has she figured it out?
However, the baptism was still going on. I nervously approached Medna-san. Even up close, she seemed exactly the same as before.
“I will now perform the baptism ceremony to bless you for coming here.” (Medna)
Medna-san extended her palm before me, closed her eyes, and looked toward the sky.
“The Goddess Kea said, magic is not to be used in battle. It is not a means to hunt beasts. Repent for your sins, and you will be forgiven. Then the Holy Spirits will grant you eternal blessings. May the blessings of the Goddess be upon you. In the name of the Saintess. Arel Kea.” (Medna)
Medna-san then took a small amount of water from a jar nearby and began to imbue it with mana using her white right hand. The water began to glow, like the light of fireflies. It shone a bluish-green, and before my eyes, it popped, floated upward, and scattered around us. The water descended like bubbles, softly drifting down.
A fantastical sight unfolded. It looked as though tiny stars were softly falling, similar to the stage effects from the night festival. A small amount of the water touched my forehead.
“This concludes the baptism. From here, Kreus will guide you to your room where you’ll be living.” (Medna)
Wait, it’s over? Isn’t there a mind control ritual called “baptism” or something? Or maybe my mind is already messed up? But it doesn’t really feel like that. It felt very formal, like they just went through the motions. That means those children who had been brainwashed probably went through this same process. I had assumed the baptism ceremony involved a magic spell that brainwashed people.
I turned silently and tried to leave through the door, but Medna-san spoke to me one last time.
“You have… beautiful hands.” (Medna)
――A chill ran down my spine.
Does she know?
My right hand is covered with bandages. It’s to hide the Thread Fist. But she’s talking about my left hand, so I assume. She had said the same thing before, so it felt like some kind of signal.
—
The next place Kreus guided me to the children’s dormitory. We went up three floors of stairs.
“This is where you’ll be living from now on. We’ve arranged for you to live in pairs so that you can make friends quickly.” (Kreus)
“Yes.” (Jack)
“There’s a boys’ room one floor below. So, it’s not just the girls, you should get along with everyone.” (Kreus)
Oh, right. I’m supposed to be a girl now.
“They’re all good kids, so you’ll be able to join the group in no time.” (Kreus)
Kreus responded to me gently.
Is this person into small girls or something? He’s been speaking in an unusually sweet voice since earlier.
The initial plan had two scenarios.
First, if I could move around freely. I would go around the facility during the day, checking out anything suspicious. Watching the children’s behavior, and if it seemed like we could escape together, I would suggest it. Then, after dark, I would start a stealthy escape operation.
Second, what if we were all bound, including the children. If I felt my life was in danger, I would escape immediately. If I could observe the children’s situation, I would do so and escape in the dead of night.
Currently, the situation seemed to fit the first scenario. If that’s the case, the next step is to explore the facility and try to make contact with the children.
“Um… what will we be doing next?” (Jack)
I tried to ask calmly. Since I wasn’t that familiar with Kreus, there was no worry about being caught, but I had to make sure to act like my character.
“We’ll have dinner and then study in the afternoon.” (Kreus)
“Study?” (Jack)
“It’s a class on the proper use of magic. You’ll just listen, so it’s okay if you can’t use magic. It’s more about understanding what magic is supposed to be. There’s no ranking among the students.” (Kreus)
II think I’m starting to understand what these people are trying to do. Since they’re not asking for a ransom for the children, it seems that securing children as “human resources” was their goal. And I’m guessing they have some larger purpose in mind, though I’m not sure what it is. Are they planning to form an army or even build a new nation?
“What else should I do…?” (Jack)
I needed to keep asking neutral questions. If I seemed like I wanted to act freely, they might get suspicious, and it would backfire. I had to act loyal and look for an escape route.
“You can do whatever you want for now. You’re free to do anything.” (Kreus)
Good, this is perfect. I can explore the facility now.
—
“Then, your room is here. Since you’re around the same age as the others, you should be able to get along with them quickly.” (Kreus)
With that, Kreus guided me to a certain room on the fourth floor. As for the structure of Cyans, the upper floors, starting from the third, were dormitories, and it had a wide chimney-like structure. The outer ring of the cylinder contained the rooms, while the inner ring was the corridor. The inner part was a large atrium. From the corridor’s windows, you could see into the atrium.
Looking down from the window, I could see the stained glass part of the ceiling on the second floor. That’s probably directly below the ceiling of the hall I saw earlier.
I decided to enter the assigned room for now. I had managed to deceive the adults, but I wondered how the kids my age would react. Well, even if they found out, I could probably just talk to them and get them on my side. But if they were overly zealous fanatics, that could be a problem.
“Hello…” (Jack)
I knocked properly before entering.
Knocking is etiquette. That’s what my mother, whom I admired, taught me. Even though I’m a child, the first impression is important. Besides, girls tend to develop emotional sensitivity faster than boys. For a girl around 10 years old, privacy is also important. Personal space matters in situations like this.
However, no one was there. There were two small beds on either side of the room, and in the back, there was a simple table, probably a study desk. If I were an innocent child enchanted by an illusion, I’d probably feel excited seeing this room.
Having a roommate around my age. It seems a bit fun.
I checked the desk. There was a thick, plain black book. When I opened it, it looked like some kind of holy scriptures. It talked endlessly about how great the Goddess Kea was, and how important moderation was when it came to magic and eating meat.
A god who preaches moderation wouldn’t ask, “How do you eat bone-in meat?”
“Who’s there?” (??)
I hadn’t noticed the girl who entered after me because I had been so absorbed in the book.
“Oh…” (Jack)
“Could you be my roommate?!” (Irene)
She was a girl with a beautiful, sleek black hair that didn’t quite match her young face. She was smaller in height than average.
“Wow! What’s your name?” (Irene)
“…I’m Jacqueline.” (Jack)
She seemed like a pretty lively child. She came closer to me.
“Eh? Jacquie-chan, huh? Your name is so similar to mine!” (Irene)
“Huh?” (Jack)
“My name is Irene! Irene Stride. Nice to meet you!” (Irene)
What a convenient development. So, this girl is the daughter of the Stride Household. I’ve already found my target. What luck.
“Irene…” (Jack)
“Yeah! I’m so happy! I didn’t have a roommate until now!” (Irene)
“R-really?” (Jack)
She was quite close in terms of personal space. She came up so close, almost pressing against me.
“Jacquie-chan, where are you from? What do you like? What magic can you use?” (Irene)
She asked one question after another with a sharp look in her clear black eyes.
“Well, I mean… I came from Dali Amor. I can’t use magic.” (Jack)
“I see! That’s so cool! You were chosen by Kea-sama!” (Irene)
“Chosen?” (Jack)
“Children chosen by the Goddess can’t use magic, you know! I envy you!” (Irene)
What is this gap in values? It’s completely the opposite of what I know.
“By the way, there’s still some time before lunch, so I’ll show you around Cyans!” (Irene)
That’s helpful. It would be nice if she could also tell me about her brother.
—
Irene showed me around the facility. However, the cylindrical parts (third and fourth floors) were mostly occupied by dormitory rooms, and there was nothing suspicious. On the first floor, there was the church (the main hall, which also spanned up to the second floor), the baptism room, and the dining hall. The second floor only had about two lecture halls, and the third and fourth floors were the children’s rooms. It seemed we couldn’t enter the top floor, the fifth. If I were to infiltrate, it would be the fifth floor.
By the way, there were about 200 children here, divided into four classes for daily lessons. The dining hall was in a separate building, and between the main building and the annex, there was a wide courtyard. However, there was no training ground for swordsmanship or martial arts.
So, they’re not training soldiers here, then? I still don’t understand their true purpose.
Suddenly, I heard a loud bell ringing.
“Oh, lunch is ready! Jacquie-chan, let’s go!” (Irene)
“Okay…” (Jack)
I see, the bell is signaling the next shift. It’s a clever way to keep the children in line.
The dining hall was also interesting. To have all the children eat at once, they didn’t do a traditional serving method but rather set up a buffet style. Large platters piled high with food were set on tables, and the children helped themselves, filling their trays and then sitting down to eat.
It’s hard to make fun of this paradise called Cyans.
“What’s wrong, Jacquie-chan?” (Irene)
“Huh? Oh, nothing…” (Jack)
I had been observing the way the food was served so carefully that Irene gave me a strange look.
“The food here is really good! It’s definitely better than what I had at home!” (Irene)
Wait, hold on. She’s the daughter of the Stride Household, right? So, she’s used to eating fancy food. Is she saying that this food is better than what she had back home? Has her taste been brainwashed?
“Irene, don’t your family members worry about you?” (Jack)
“Are you worried?” (Irene)
“Isn’t your father and mother lonely since you left, Irene?” (Jack)
“Huh? Why?” (Irene)
Why? What’s with that light tone?
“My father and mother were happy to send me here.” (Irene)
“Huh…?” (Jack)
“My father was happy I could go to the paradise.” (Irene)
That’s a lie. Has the brainwashing gone so far that even memories have been implanted? Considering this situation, it might be hard to take her with me when I escape. Are all the children here thinking the same? Looking around, none of them seem to be pessimistic about the current situation. Every one of them looked happy and carefree. If this is magic, the sorcerer would be Medna-san…?
But some of these children have been here for a year. Keeping magic going continuously for such a long time would require a significant amount of mana. Hmm… but there’s no other way to explain it. It’s highly likely that the brainwashing magic was cast during the initial baptism by Medna-san… and that the children are being steeped in faith. I believe there’s a dark magic type that has a mind control effect.
Could it be that there’s some kind of magic in the food they eat every day? I should disinfect it with anti-mana just in case.
I casually took some food onto my tray and sat down next to Irene. I slowly undid part of the bandage on my right hand, making sure not to get caught, and touched the food with my right hand. However, my right hand didn’t show any response. The power to nullify magic didn’t activate.
So, this must just be regular food. For now, I’ll quietly eat it. If she says it’s delicious, I want to try a bite.
“I’ll eat…” (Jack)
“…By the name of the Goddess, please bless us with this food today. We will eat this meal with hearts full of gratitude, not falling into temptation. Please forgive us. Arel Kea.” (Irene)
Just as I was about to eat with a fork, Irene began praying with both her hands clasped together right beside me. Upon closer inspection, other children were also muttering something like Irene.
“Jacquie-chan, please also say a prayer with a heart of gratitude.” (Irene)
“Y-yeah.” (Jack)
I muttered something randomly, imitating them.
“Kea-sama, please forgive me as I eat this. I like meat, but I won’t eat meat on the bone.” (Jack)
It was brief, but perhaps because of my attitude, Irene didn’t complain about it.
Do I really have to do this every time?
—
Even after eating lunch, nothing happened. It was, as Irene said, just normal food. Afterwards, I spoke with a few of Irene’s friends. I could have a regular conversation with them. Unlike Dwayne, they weren’t acting strangely. It was just their ideology that was odd. Every child was humble and respectful toward others. The Goddess was their main object of worship. Moreover, topics like fighting and conflict were off-limits. It took a lot of effort to ask probing questions while trying to learn more.
Once again, the chime rang. Next was magic class. None of the children seemed reluctant. It seemed like they were all excited for the start of the lesson. I followed Irene and we walked toward the lecture hall.
“Hello, everyone. I am Ozeas Skillword from the Melpeque Church. Today, let’s continue from where we left off last week.” (Ozeas)
A suspicious-looking older man in black priestly robes stood in front of the class, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
“We talked about the story of the Ring of Eire up until the first night. Today, we’ll cover the first day and the first scene, ‘The Volcano of Baila.'” (Ozeas)
Thus began the priest’s tale. It was a lesson-like story, about adventurers who entered the Baila Volcano to steal a legendary gemstone and triggered the gods’ wrath, causing the volcano to erupt. The adventurers were wiped out. It was a common tale, but it would be enough to instill fear of adventure in the children. I was so bored that my head began to nod off.
“Jacquie-chan…!” (Irene)
“…Ugh.” (Jack)
I jolted up, the shock making my body jump. I sat up quickly and looked around. The other children stared at me, wide-eyed. Giggles started to spread around the room. The priest also had a look of exasperation on his face.
“Ah… you are…?” (Ozeas)
“…Yes.” (Jack)
“Are you feeling unwell?” (Ozeas)
“Sorry.” (Jack)
“It’s fine. I’ll always be ready to tell the story again.” (Ozeas)
Ah, this might be a chance.
“Sorry, I’ll go back to my room.” (Jack)
“Huh, wait, Jacquie-chan…!” (Irene)
I quickly escaped the lecture hall. Now I was free. I would use this time to infiltrate the forbidden fifth floor. I marched down the hallway. To infiltrate the fifth floor, I should probably take off my clothes and wig. I want to do this stealthily without being spotted.
I reached the shared room on the fourth floor. Irene would still be in the lecture hall, listening to that long-winded speech, so this room was mine alone for now. I removed my clothes and wig.
It felt so much better.
I had reclaimed my true self. Just in case, I hid the clothes and wig under the bed. While I was stuffing them under the bed, I heard a voice.
” Jacquie-chan, are you okay?” (Irene)
The door suddenly opened, and a young girl with silky hair appeared. And I made direct eye contact with Irene.
No knock at all. I’ll have to teach this child proper manners from scratch. It’s not even the Stride family way. It’s my mother’s direct teaching, the Oldridge method of discipline. Training. I’ll train her when I get back.
“Huh… who are you?!” (Irene)
Putting aside such delusions, I need to silence her. I immediately grabbed the hammer on my back. Without a sound, I closed in on the girl as quickly as possible, wrapping the hammer around her neck and pressing my left hand over her mouth… or at least, that’s what I thought.
Irene saw through my quick move, grabbed my left hand, twisted it, and chopped it down, knocking the hammer I held in my right hand out of my grasp.
Who is this person?
“Hah!” (Irene)
In that instant, she swiftly took my back, gripped both of my hands, and threw me backward toward the center of the room. My left leg hit the bed frame hard. Though my light crocodile leather armor protected my body, my exposed knee scraped against something and blood began to ooze out.
This quick self-defense technique… I see. So, this is the Stride style. This girl will be fine. She can survive anywhere. I don’t even need to help her…
“It hurts…” (Jack)
“Huh?! That voice, Jacquie…chan? Wait, what?” (Irene)
” Jacquie is not here. I’m Jack.” (Jack)
“Huh? Huh, what do you mean?” (Irene)
Irene was confused. She couldn’t accept the fact that the person she had thought was a girl was actually a boy.
“S-Sorry. Blood!” (Irene)
“Oh, no… it’s fine.” (Jack)
“I-I did something terrible… I’ll take care of it now!” (Irene)
Irene was more flustered than I had expected.
If someone like me, looking suspicious, were in the girls’ room, it makes sense she’d be shocked. Wait, maybe she’s been brainwashed with some rule like ‘do not harm others’? Even that rule is broken by the self-defense techniques drilled into her. Impressive.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” (Irene)
“It’s okay, it’s nothing serious.” (Jack)
Irene placed her hand over my left knee and tried to heal it.
―Crackling purple lightning.
It seemed like the anti-mana in my blood rejected it.
“…Why?” (Irene)
“Ah, well…” (Jack)
“Anyway, the blood…” (Irene)
Irene then suddenly kissed my knee, as though she had decided to do something. She sucked my blood out, gently. This was the first time a girl’s lips had touched me. They were surprisingly soft. As expected, I couldn’t help but feel my heart race.
“It’s to disinfect the wound.” (Irene)
Ah, so she meant it as a form of disinfection.
“…Ugh! Cough… cough… cough…” (Irene)
Suddenly, Irene began coughing.
Could it be that my blood was poisonous?
“Ugh… Ughhh!” (Irene)
Then, she started to groan, clutching her head. What’s happening to this girl? The purple mana characteristic of dark magic began to evaporate from Irene’s body.
“Ah… ah…” (Irene)
Irene then lowered her head, seemingly enduring something, and gradually, it subsided.
“Are you alright?” (Jack)
“…Huh… Wh-where am I? Why am I… like this?” (Irene)
Ah, thank goodness. I thought my blood was so poisonous that it would kill her.
“Hey, wait. Who are you? Where’s Papa?” (Irene)
It looks like it was Irene who got disinfected.
“I came to help you, as requested by Parcine-san.” (Jack)
“What?! Papa?” (Irene)
“Yes, Irene was being held captive here.” (Jack)
“That can’t be true!” (Irene)
So, my blood also has the power to cancel magic. It makes sense now that wherever my blood touched, magic seemed to dissipate. In that case, my blood must be the ultimate antidote.
“I’ll take you home.” (Jack)
“…Thank you!” (Irene)
Irene looked at me with sparkling eyes, as though she were looking at a hero, and it was very close.
This girl’s personal space is very small… And with the kiss from earlier, it made my heart race again. I really wish she’d stop doing that.
“Ah… but…” (Irene)
“But?” (Jack)
“Why are you wearing makeup?” (Irene)
Now that she mentioned it, I had forgotten all about the makeup after I removed the girl’s clothes and wig.
It really ruined the moment.
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