Chapter 22: A glimpse of Emmy's talent
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Three days have passed since I came to this mysterious grandpa's house.
Lately, my physical strength, spirit, and magical power are healthier than ever, and thanks to that, I’m full of energy!
Grandpa has been giving me, a stranger from who knows where, a place to sleep and two meals a day.
This guy really is kind.
For the time being, he hasn’t said anything like "get out", so I'm going to keep taking advantage of his kindness.
At first, grandpa was using [intimidation] all over the place, but I think that was probably just him not being used to socializing with people and getting nervous.
Since it’s not good to one sidedly impose upon him, I’ve taken to cleaning the house.
Just a little bit of sweeping and wiping makes the already well organized house look at least ten years younger!
Ehehe, seeing it all sparkle is pretty satisfying.
For some reason though, there are places like the cupboard in the back room where grandpa will use a strong [intimidation] on me whenever I get near it, so I haven't touched that yet.
Un un, even if I’m just a child, men have some things they don’t want women to see!
I understand, I understand.
So that’s why that spot is a no touch.
I have a lot of free time to explore outside since cleaning is my only job, but all I can tell is that this is a cabin built somewhere in the mountains where I got lost.
There’s no sign of other people anywhere.
As for grandpa, who lives hiding out here… his identity remains a mystery.
Even when I tried to introduce myself before…
"…I’m, Emmy."
"……(grandpa slightly nods after a while)"
"……(I nod back too)"
Yup, conversation over.
…Well, that’s how it is.
He’s as silent as ever and doesn’t speak a word about himself.
He won’t even tell me his name.
Why not?
<<He’s living secretly in the mountains like this… maybe he has a dark past.>>
Eeeeh!?
Really?
This kind grandpa is actually a wanted criminal… or something like that? No way, no way!
Something like him hating the world that persecuted him for having black hair and black eyes, so he went to live in the mountains would make more sense, wouldn’t it?
No, well, it doesn’t really matter what grandpa's past is.
This man is the kind person who saved me.
That’s what’s important to me.
Grandpa wakes up before sunrise every day to practice martial arts… I think? He goes through some type of forms, eats breakfast, then leaves to hunt.
And before noon, he’s back with a deer or boar slung over his shoulders. After he processes the game, he works around the house, eats dinner, and goes to bed early.
That’s pretty much all he does in a day.
What’s surprising is, when grandpa goes hunting, he always goes out empty-handed.
It's true that he cut off a wolf’s head with a hand-sword when we first met him.
With that kind of technique, it’s true that most weapons would be unnecessary.
Would he teach it to me…?
Grandpa’s generous, so I’ve gotten comfortable enough to think things like that.
I’m not strong enough to survive in this world yet.
When those thieves took over my base, when I saw the village’s destruction, when that reaper wolf was chasing me, all these events have made that fact glaringly obvious.
I have to become strong, no matter what.
In my past life that ended unexpectedly, I was more or less unconcerned, but now I feel an extreme attachment to living. I don’t want to die.
I think it's because Omake-sama is here with me and because I've seen the reality of death up close.
Let’s see!
Well, on that note!
I think I’ll have grandpa take me hunting today!
I’ll burn his skill into these eyes and make it my own!
"……"
Grandpa stops me from trying to follow him up the mountain and gestures for me to stay at home.
"……"
I shake my head and stare straight at grandpa.
"……"
Grandpa also shakes his head and stares back at me.
""……""
For a while, silence lingered.
Then grandpa slightly sighs and starts walking toward the mountain.
Yes! I got permission to come with!
<<Eeh!? He gave you permission!? Just now!?>>
Un, no doubt.
Although it’s only been three days, my and grandpa’s minds are already connected!
That's how I know!
<<Please use words to talk!>>
◇ ◇ ◇
Despite the steep slopes and bad footholds, grandpa jogs casually over the mountain trail.
It's a pretty fast pace.
He occasionally looks over his shoulder to make sure I’m still following and gradually quickens his steps.
At this point, it’s already a high speed, but maybe he’s going slower than usual out of consideration for me.
"……"
N? What is it.
Grandpa stops again and stares at me.
What what? It’s not a break, I don’t think, but…?
"……"
I also stare at grandpa.
…Then it hits me; grandpa’s usual aura of bloodthirst and intimidation have disappeared.
Ah, this…!
[Magic vision] activate!
<<He’s using [presence concealment], huh. His magical power is perfectly suppressed.>>
Yeah, we are in the middle of hunting after all!
I also hurriedly carry out [presence concealment].
Grandpa nods upon seeing it, and we resumed our hike.
The pace hasn’t changed much, but using [presence concealment] and [body strengthening] at the same time is pretty hard!
<<Until now, you haven't combined [body strengthening] and [presence concealment] very often.>>
However, since I’m sending the magical power that would have been leaked to [body strengthening], even though it’s tiring, this method is very efficient in terms of magical power usage.
I’ve always tried to keep up [body strengthening] as practice, but it might be a good idea to add [presence concealment] as well, from now on.
◇ ◇ ◇
About an hour further up the mountain, grandpa held up his hand before me, without turning back, motioning to stop.
Grandpa crouches down, so I follow suit and try to see what he’s looking at.
A yellowish deer with prominent antlers stands on the rugged rock surface, maybe about fifty meters ahead.
<<That’s an elekdeer! A dangerous monster that can shoot lightning magic from the ends of its antlers!>>
Eeh!? That deer uses magic!?
While I’m getting nervous, grandpa instructs me to stay put and slowly creeps toward the deer.
Currently, the distance between the deer and grandpa has closed to about thirty meters.
Electricity crackles as it flickers around the deer’s antlers, seemingly ready to attack at any time.
Excitement is overflowing..
It looks like the deer doesn't want to run away at all.
<<On the contrary, it probably wants to kill that person and eat him. That deer is a ferocious carnivore after all…!>>
A ferocious, meat-eating deer!?
Since when were deer carnivores!?
This isekai keeps getting scarier!!!
The deer turns its antlers towards grandpa, the lightning flashing more and more violently, and prepares to release its magic, just then.
…Grandpa's figure vanished.
No doubt, it would have looked like that to the deer.
Surprised by the sudden change in situation, the deer freezes.
My eyes, watching from a distance, clearly grasped what happened at that time.
Grandpa jumped up high in an instant, disappearing from the deer’s field of view far up into the sky!
And just like that, he plunges back down from his sudden altitude straight into the deer!
The same hand sword that cut the wolf’s neck flashes!
…In a shower of blood, the now headless deer crumples to the ground.
Its still-crackling antlers keep a faint luminescence before gradually fading and becoming silent.
…W, Wooow!!
Grandpa, that was amazing!!
<<…Once again, it’s confirmed. This person is definitely some kind of martial arts master. In all the isekai reincarnation broadcasts that I’ve seen, that was comparable to the people called champions. Unbelievable, could this person…!>>
I rush over to grandpa with shining eyes (that’s my intention, but my facial expression probably hasn't changed).
"……Awesome."
"……"
Grandpa scratches his cheek with his index finger. He’s embarrassed.
"What was, that?"
"……[Grasshopper], and [mantis]."
Ooh! He even told me the technique names!
I guess the one where he jumped high was grasshopper, and the hand sword was mantis?
Are there grasshoppers and praying mantises in this world too?
<<Yes. Grasshoppers are all-consuming demon beasts. Mantises are brutal phantom beasts that are said to have nothing their arms can’t slice through. Both are considered to be legendary existences.>>
Legendary!?
From what they were in my past life, the divergence is severe!!
No, that’s beside the point. The techniques, [grasshopper] and [mantis]! They were insane, Omake-sama!
<<I agree, the skill requires a well-trained body, fine motor control, and manipulation of magical power. It was wonderful to see.>>
It was cool! I wonder if I can do it too!?
<<It may be possible to imitate it. It won't be practical immediately, though.>>
Actually, in the hunt just now, I was watching so closely that I had unconsciously activated [magic vision].
That’s why, I was aware that an interesting phenomenon was occurring.
First of all, grandpa jumped high.
There’s no doubt that he used [body strengthening] to enhance his physical ability for the jump, but that alone probably isn’t enough to replicate grandpa’s [grasshopper].
Just before grandpa jumped up, I didn't miss the magical power flowing from his feet into the ground.
That flow was just like when I use [condensation] to create drinking water from air.
<<…W, Well done, Emmy. Very sharp. It looked like that to me as well. [Condensation] is the magic that "collects, binds and condenses" water vapor in the air. For there to be magical power flowing similarly to that means…>>
Just before grandpa jumped, did he use magic to "collect, bind and condense" the ground?
<<Maybe not "collect". But it definitely had to have been "bound and condensed". Let's call it [solidification]… He used a type of earth magic to make a strong foothold. In an instant, too.>>
Magical power is poured into the ground and hardens…
Trying it, this is considerably more difficult than [condensation].
Somehow here… I feel something like resistance from the ground.
Mmm… While I’m using trial and error to slowly figure out the [solidification] of the ground below me, grandpa processes the deer and gives me a strange look.
After working hard for a while, I hit the ground where I was standing with some pebbles, and they bounce off of what should have just been regular soil with a hard noise.
And then.
I think, there’s another element for reproducing [grasshopper]!
<<Eh?>>
Fufufu! Omake-sama, did you not notice?
It was the moment just when grandpa jumped up, right?
Not [solidification]… If anything, the flow of magical power at grandpa's feet was the exact opposite!
<<The opposite?>>
Yes, the opposite of "binding"!
A "separating" magical power was used!
…Aah, that's right.
"Attractive force" and "repulsive force". I feel like I learned about those at school in my previous life.
<<Emmy… you could see that…?>>
Un! But how can I do it?
The flow opposite of [condensation] and [solidification]…?
The ground pushes my feet up… and launches them off…?
With such an image…
Generating repulsive force…
Meanwhile, I match the timing of the [body strengthening] assisted jump…
At that moment, I failed to notice that grandpa’s face had turned much more grim than usual as he watched me. Before I realized, I had already activated my own version of [grasshopper].
Byunn!!
My body is flung up way higher and way faster than I was expecting.
Grandpa is caught by surprise, and his panicked figure shrinks smaller and smaller below me.
When I shift my gaze, distant mountain ranges, vast lakes, lush forests and grasslands in shades of green… an endless, magnificent landscape emerges below.
Amazing! This is amazing!
It took a while, but isn’t there no doubt that we’ve successfully reproduced [grasshopper]!?
<<Ah… But, Emmy…>>
?? What's wrong? Omake-sama.
My body stops rising and gradually begins to descend.
<<This… how do we land? Falling from up here, even if you use [body strengthening], won’t we still take considerable damage…?>>
…………Ah.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Unfortunately, I fainted mid-fall, and by the time I regained consciousness, I was back in my futon at grandpa's house.
Apparently grandpa managed to catch me.
When I woke up though, I got thoroughly scolded by his angry glare.
I, I, I'm sorryyyy…!!
Chapter 22: A glimpse of Emmy's talent
<Previous
Next>
Three days have passed since I came to this mysterious grandpa's house.
Lately, my physical strength, spirit, and magical power are healthier than ever, and thanks to that, I’m full of energy!
Grandpa has been giving me, a stranger from who knows where, a place to sleep and two meals a day.
This guy really is kind.
For the time being, he hasn’t said anything like "get out", so I'm going to keep taking advantage of his kindness.
At first, grandpa was using [intimidation] all over the place, but I think that was probably just him not being used to socializing with people and getting nervous.
Since it’s not good to one sidedly impose upon him, I’ve taken to cleaning the house.
Just a little bit of sweeping and wiping makes the already well organized house look at least ten years younger!
Ehehe, seeing it all sparkle is pretty satisfying.
For some reason though, there are places like the cupboard in the back room where grandpa will use a strong [intimidation] on me whenever I get near it, so I haven't touched that yet.
Un un, even if I’m just a child, men have some things they don’t want women to see!
I understand, I understand.
So that’s why that spot is a no touch.
I have a lot of free time to explore outside since cleaning is my only job, but all I can tell is that this is a cabin built somewhere in the mountains where I got lost.
There’s no sign of other people anywhere.
As for grandpa, who lives hiding out here… his identity remains a mystery.
Even when I tried to introduce myself before…
"…I’m, Emmy."
"……(grandpa slightly nods after a while)"
"……(I nod back too)"
Yup, conversation over.
…Well, that’s how it is.
He’s as silent as ever and doesn’t speak a word about himself.
He won’t even tell me his name.
Why not?
<<He’s living secretly in the mountains like this… maybe he has a dark past.>>
Eeeeh!?
Really?
This kind grandpa is actually a wanted criminal… or something like that? No way, no way!
Something like him hating the world that persecuted him for having black hair and black eyes, so he went to live in the mountains would make more sense, wouldn’t it?
No, well, it doesn’t really matter what grandpa's past is.
This man is the kind person who saved me.
That’s what’s important to me.
Grandpa wakes up before sunrise every day to practice martial arts… I think? He goes through some type of forms, eats breakfast, then leaves to hunt.
And before noon, he’s back with a deer or boar slung over his shoulders. After he processes the game, he works around the house, eats dinner, and goes to bed early.
That’s pretty much all he does in a day.
What’s surprising is, when grandpa goes hunting, he always goes out empty-handed.
It's true that he cut off a wolf’s head with a hand-sword when we first met him.
With that kind of technique, it’s true that most weapons would be unnecessary.
Would he teach it to me…?
Grandpa’s generous, so I’ve gotten comfortable enough to think things like that.
I’m not strong enough to survive in this world yet.
When those thieves took over my base, when I saw the village’s destruction, when that reaper wolf was chasing me, all these events have made that fact glaringly obvious.
I have to become strong, no matter what.
In my past life that ended unexpectedly, I was more or less unconcerned, but now I feel an extreme attachment to living. I don’t want to die.
I think it's because Omake-sama is here with me and because I've seen the reality of death up close.
Let’s see!
Well, on that note!
I think I’ll have grandpa take me hunting today!
I’ll burn his skill into these eyes and make it my own!
"……"
Grandpa stops me from trying to follow him up the mountain and gestures for me to stay at home.
"……"
I shake my head and stare straight at grandpa.
"……"
Grandpa also shakes his head and stares back at me.
""……""
For a while, silence lingered.
Then grandpa slightly sighs and starts walking toward the mountain.
Yes! I got permission to come with!
<<Eeh!? He gave you permission!? Just now!?>>
Un, no doubt.
Although it’s only been three days, my and grandpa’s minds are already connected!
That's how I know!
<<Please use words to talk!>>
◇ ◇ ◇
Despite the steep slopes and bad footholds, grandpa jogs casually over the mountain trail.
It's a pretty fast pace.
He occasionally looks over his shoulder to make sure I’m still following and gradually quickens his steps.
At this point, it’s already a high speed, but maybe he’s going slower than usual out of consideration for me.
"……"
N? What is it.
Grandpa stops again and stares at me.
What what? It’s not a break, I don’t think, but…?
"……"
I also stare at grandpa.
…Then it hits me; grandpa’s usual aura of bloodthirst and intimidation have disappeared.
Ah, this…!
[Magic vision] activate!
<<He’s using [presence concealment], huh. His magical power is perfectly suppressed.>>
Yeah, we are in the middle of hunting after all!
I also hurriedly carry out [presence concealment].
Grandpa nods upon seeing it, and we resumed our hike.
The pace hasn’t changed much, but using [presence concealment] and [body strengthening] at the same time is pretty hard!
<<Until now, you haven't combined [body strengthening] and [presence concealment] very often.>>
However, since I’m sending the magical power that would have been leaked to [body strengthening], even though it’s tiring, this method is very efficient in terms of magical power usage.
I’ve always tried to keep up [body strengthening] as practice, but it might be a good idea to add [presence concealment] as well, from now on.
◇ ◇ ◇
About an hour further up the mountain, grandpa held up his hand before me, without turning back, motioning to stop.
Grandpa crouches down, so I follow suit and try to see what he’s looking at.
A yellowish deer with prominent antlers stands on the rugged rock surface, maybe about fifty meters ahead.
<<That’s an elekdeer! A dangerous monster that can shoot lightning magic from the ends of its antlers!>>
Eeh!? That deer uses magic!?
While I’m getting nervous, grandpa instructs me to stay put and slowly creeps toward the deer.
Currently, the distance between the deer and grandpa has closed to about thirty meters.
Electricity crackles as it flickers around the deer’s antlers, seemingly ready to attack at any time.
Excitement is overflowing..
It looks like the deer doesn't want to run away at all.
<<On the contrary, it probably wants to kill that person and eat him. That deer is a ferocious carnivore after all…!>>
A ferocious, meat-eating deer!?
Since when were deer carnivores!?
This isekai keeps getting scarier!!!
The deer turns its antlers towards grandpa, the lightning flashing more and more violently, and prepares to release its magic, just then.
…Grandpa's figure vanished.
No doubt, it would have looked like that to the deer.
Surprised by the sudden change in situation, the deer freezes.
My eyes, watching from a distance, clearly grasped what happened at that time.
Grandpa jumped up high in an instant, disappearing from the deer’s field of view far up into the sky!
And just like that, he plunges back down from his sudden altitude straight into the deer!
The same hand sword that cut the wolf’s neck flashes!
…In a shower of blood, the now headless deer crumples to the ground.
Its still-crackling antlers keep a faint luminescence before gradually fading and becoming silent.
…W, Wooow!!
Grandpa, that was amazing!!
<<…Once again, it’s confirmed. This person is definitely some kind of martial arts master. In all the isekai reincarnation broadcasts that I’ve seen, that was comparable to the people called champions. Unbelievable, could this person…!>>
I rush over to grandpa with shining eyes (that’s my intention, but my facial expression probably hasn't changed).
"……Awesome."
"……"
Grandpa scratches his cheek with his index finger. He’s embarrassed.
"What was, that?"
"……[Grasshopper], and [mantis]."
Ooh! He even told me the technique names!
I guess the one where he jumped high was grasshopper, and the hand sword was mantis?
Are there grasshoppers and praying mantises in this world too?
<<Yes. Grasshoppers are all-consuming demon beasts. Mantises are brutal phantom beasts that are said to have nothing their arms can’t slice through. Both are considered to be legendary existences.>>
Legendary!?
From what they were in my past life, the divergence is severe!!
No, that’s beside the point. The techniques, [grasshopper] and [mantis]! They were insane, Omake-sama!
<<I agree, the skill requires a well-trained body, fine motor control, and manipulation of magical power. It was wonderful to see.>>
It was cool! I wonder if I can do it too!?
<<It may be possible to imitate it. It won't be practical immediately, though.>>
Actually, in the hunt just now, I was watching so closely that I had unconsciously activated [magic vision].
That’s why, I was aware that an interesting phenomenon was occurring.
First of all, grandpa jumped high.
There’s no doubt that he used [body strengthening] to enhance his physical ability for the jump, but that alone probably isn’t enough to replicate grandpa’s [grasshopper].
Just before grandpa jumped up, I didn't miss the magical power flowing from his feet into the ground.
That flow was just like when I use [condensation] to create drinking water from air.
<<…W, Well done, Emmy. Very sharp. It looked like that to me as well. [Condensation] is the magic that "collects, binds and condenses" water vapor in the air. For there to be magical power flowing similarly to that means…>>
Just before grandpa jumped, did he use magic to "collect, bind and condense" the ground?
<<Maybe not "collect". But it definitely had to have been "bound and condensed". Let's call it [solidification]… He used a type of earth magic to make a strong foothold. In an instant, too.>>
Magical power is poured into the ground and hardens…
Trying it, this is considerably more difficult than [condensation].
Somehow here… I feel something like resistance from the ground.
Mmm… While I’m using trial and error to slowly figure out the [solidification] of the ground below me, grandpa processes the deer and gives me a strange look.
After working hard for a while, I hit the ground where I was standing with some pebbles, and they bounce off of what should have just been regular soil with a hard noise.
And then.
I think, there’s another element for reproducing [grasshopper]!
<<Eh?>>
Fufufu! Omake-sama, did you not notice?
It was the moment just when grandpa jumped up, right?
Not [solidification]… If anything, the flow of magical power at grandpa's feet was the exact opposite!
<<The opposite?>>
Yes, the opposite of "binding"!
A "separating" magical power was used!
…Aah, that's right.
"Attractive force" and "repulsive force". I feel like I learned about those at school in my previous life.
<<Emmy… you could see that…?>>
Un! But how can I do it?
The flow opposite of [condensation] and [solidification]…?
The ground pushes my feet up… and launches them off…?
With such an image…
Generating repulsive force…
Meanwhile, I match the timing of the [body strengthening] assisted jump…
At that moment, I failed to notice that grandpa’s face had turned much more grim than usual as he watched me. Before I realized, I had already activated my own version of [grasshopper].
Byunn!!
My body is flung up way higher and way faster than I was expecting.
Grandpa is caught by surprise, and his panicked figure shrinks smaller and smaller below me.
When I shift my gaze, distant mountain ranges, vast lakes, lush forests and grasslands in shades of green… an endless, magnificent landscape emerges below.
Amazing! This is amazing!
It took a while, but isn’t there no doubt that we’ve successfully reproduced [grasshopper]!?
<<Ah… But, Emmy…>>
?? What's wrong? Omake-sama.
My body stops rising and gradually begins to descend.
<<This… how do we land? Falling from up here, even if you use [body strengthening], won’t we still take considerable damage…?>>
…………Ah.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Unfortunately, I fainted mid-fall, and by the time I regained consciousness, I was back in my futon at grandpa's house.
Apparently grandpa managed to catch me.
When I woke up though, I got thoroughly scolded by his angry glare.
I, I, I'm sorryyyy…!!
