The Mage Will Master Magic Efficiently In His Second Life

as a sneaky one ever since I met him, but to think that he’d do something like that so casually. The days he spent resenting Claude probably distorted his twisted personality even more. He probably doesn’t even know what sympathy feels like any more. The price for hurting my friends will be his death.

「Zeph-kun.」

 

Just as I determined myself I heard Claude call out to me from behind.

Just as I was about to turn back she embraced me from behind.

I could feel her body trembling slightly.
She was holding on to my body with her hands in order to try and fight against it.

 

「Please take me with you.
Even though he’s my brother I cannot forgive him for harming Shirushu-san!」

「No, you’ll stay here.」

「Is it because you plan on killing my brother?」

 

She managed to read through me.

It’d have been for the best if her instinct didn’t work in these kinds of situations… What a tactless fellow she is.

 

「That’s right.
That’s why I can’t take you with me.
You’re connected by blood aren’t you? There’s no need for yourself to dirty your hands with that blood.
Me, alone, is enough to take care of someone like him.
In this battle Claude, you’ll only be a hindrance.」

「Even so… I beg you!!」

 

I tried to persuade her but Claude wouldn’t let go of me.

As Claude put even more strength into her embrace I felt my magic power slowly being sucked out.

 

「… The wielders of Screen Point can extract the magic power of someone they touch.
If you don’t take me with you Zeph-kun, I won’t let go until you have no magic power left!」

「Claude you…」

 

Screen Point certainly did extract the magic power of the person touching the caster.
It also almost nullifies spells as well.

Come to think of it, Kane’s Screen Point from earlier seemed quite aggressive, like it was trying to rob my magic power away. On the other hand, Claude’s Screen Point does not negate all magic power, but rather it can absorb some spells such as strengthening magic and such. Claude’s Screen Point does not reject everything, but rather it only rejects that which it deems harmful to her. Although she’s desperately holding on to me, my magic power has not been drained all that much, probably due to me being her friend, and not having ill intentions.

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「… Claude, that’s enough.」

 

I grabbed Claude’s hand and turned around.
She looked like she was about to cry.
I could clearly see her tears welling up.

 

「Zeph-kun…!」

 

As I wiped off her tears, she looked at me with a resolved look. 

It felt like she was saying I’ll never give up.

Good grief, what a troublesome fellow.

 

「Okay, okay, you can come with me.
But don’t do anything crazy.」 I said with a sigh, to which a gloomy face changed to one of excitement.

 

And this time, she hugged me from the front and even pushed me down with her.

 

「Thank you Zeph-kun!!」

「Hey! Let go of me!」

「Oh… I’m sorry…」 saying that Claude released her Screen Point.

 

No not that, move your arms. It hurts when your breastplate pushes into me.

In the end I had to choose but to forcefully move Claude off of me and get up.

 

「… Let’s go before everyone wakes up.」

「Okay!」

 

I didn’t want anyone else, especially Milly, to have such a blood fight.
Of course that included Claude as well.

That’s why I was planning on being the one who would kill Kane.

Claude was also probably aware of my intentions as well.

… If possible I’d like her not to participate but oh well.

 

◆ ◆ ◆

 

We went inside the forest and proceeded smoothly while defeating monsters.

As we went deeper, the Sti Beetles more frequently dropped pieces of meat and cloth covered with blood.

Claude’s face twisted each time.

It seems like Kane is hunting adventurers who came here to hunt monsters. Considering he also slashed at Claude without any hesitation, it must mean that he’s already lost his humanity.

 

「… Shirushu-san said that the smell was coming for the north of the island, right? According to the map, the rocky mountain near the cape in the north is a small dungeon.  I’m thinking that that place is a bit suspicious.」 said Claude.

「Let’s go check it out for now.」

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Shirushu’s sense of smell worked by picking up on the smell of magic power.

She was apparently able to sense odors which had been permeated with magic power, and then follow those odors to find traces.

Kane’s Screen Point, which is able to erase magic power, can be said to be her archnemesis.
That’s probably also why she wasn’t able to sense him getting close.

 

「Ain, come out.」

「Hey, hey!」

 

After casting Summon Servant, Ain appeared right next to me.

And after staring at Claude’s face for a while, she whispered to me.

 

「Gramps, Claude doesn’t seem to be doing too great.」

「Some stuff happened.
And the place that we’re about to head to right now is going to be pretty tough as well.」

「…Hmmm.」

 

Ain moved away from me and shot straight for Claude’s face, as she hugged it.

 

「Hyaa?!A-Ain-chan?!」

「It’s gonna be okay Claude.
After all I’m with you ♪」

「…Thank you.」

 

And like that Claude ended up cuddling with Ain for a while. 

As I was looking at them, suddenly a Sti Beetle appeared in front of me.

 

「Ain.」

「What’s up?」 　

「I just remembered a thing that I wanted to test out.」 

「Eh… You’re doing it now…?  With this atmosphere?」

「The battle afterwards may turn out to be a fierce one.
I want to try it while I still can.」

 

Hearing me say that, Ain’s face suddenly went pale.

 

「And the target just appeared right in front of us.
So hurry up and turn into a sword.」

「Are you sure you want to use me against such a weak monster, to me it just seems like a waste…」

「Just turn into a sword, would you?」

「Tsch… Okay…」

 

Ain reluctantly turned into Divine Sword Ainbelle and landed in my hand.

 

「Let’s go Ain.」

「P-Please be gentle…」