As I was teaching Nina-chan how to move her body during training, about an hour passed, and the "Siren" started to fade away.
Suddenly, the "Body Strengthening" magic disappeared, and my body felt heavier. My movements slowed instantly. I stopped moving and turned to Nina-chan.
"Huh? Where did Siren go?"
"She can't stay any longer. I'll summon her again," Nina-chan said, starting to gather her magic power once more.
So, fairies only last for an hour, huh? That was a new piece of information for me, and I found myself thinking about it.
Does the time a fairy can remain depend on how much magic power is used to create it? Or does "Fairy Magic" only last for an hour by nature?
I figured it might be worth testing out more thoroughly at some point.
But for now, I called out to Nina-chan.
"No, it's been an hour. Let's take a break."
"...Okay," she said, exhaling deeply and sitting down on the veranda, stretching out her body in a lazy sprawl.
It was the first time I'd seen Nina-chan let herself go like that in front of someone.
She must have been really tired. But honestly, we had only covered the basics of movement and barely started training.
I sat next to Nina-chan, and she spoke, still lying down.
"You're amazing, Itsuki. You don't even seem tired."
"I've been doing this for a long time. If you keep it up, Nina-chan, you'll stop getting tired too."
"...Yeah, you're right. I'll keep trying," she said, looking up at the sky.
Today was a perfect day for physical activity, with not a single cloud in the sky.
As I followed Nina-chan's gaze toward the clear sky, she quietly murmured something beside me.
"Hey, Itsuki."
"What's up?"
"How do you think I can catch up to my mom?"
"...Hmm."
Her question made me pause for a moment.
Technically, both Nina-chan and Ireena-san are classified as Fourth Rank exorcists. So, just based on that, Nina-chan has the potential to catch up to her mother.
But Nina-chan has a few disadvantages. Her age, her lack of experience, and her trauma related to monsters.
So, after thinking for a moment, I gave her my answer.
"If you keep working hard, you'll definitely catch up one day."
"And when do you think that'll be?"
"...Hmm."
After pondering a bit more, I said, "It'll probably take a while."
"Decreasing?"
"Yeah, I've taken care of most of the dangerous 'ma.' At this rate, I should be able to come home sometime next week."
Hearing that his work would still take another week, I couldn't help but grimace a little.
Exorcists really do work too much.
"I heard you met the Actor," my dad continued. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. And I didn't really see him directly. He just possessed a stuffed animal," I replied.
"An effigy, huh? That's a pretty old type of magic."
"You know about it?"
"Of course. Exorcists used to use that magic to communicate with people far away."
"Can you use it too?"
"I can, but... there's no need to. A phone is much more convenient," he said, matter-of-factly.
Hearing him say that, I couldn't help but agree silently.
Chapter Continue:
It turns out that magic isn't always the more convenient option for everything.
Considering my dad almost never uses the internet or data on his phone, the fact that even he found effigy magic more troublesome than a phone call really says something.
"Right now, other exorcists are searching for the Actor. He's likely using 'concealment' magic, so it's taking time," my dad added.
I heard his voice resonate through the phone.
"Dad, is there a chance the Actor isn't even in Japan anymore?"
"He might have left the country, yes. If he's spread 'ma' around here and then fled, it's possible."
"...I see."
"If that's the case, we'd hand the search over to exorcists abroad. A 'ma' that can create more 'ma' must be exorcised as quickly as possible."
I let out a quiet hum in response.
If the Actor had escaped abroad, it would be a real hassle. That was all I could think.
After a bit of casual conversation with my dad, I hung up the phone.
I was just about to head to the veranda to practice magic in the afternoon when I heard the sound of rain, followed by Nina-chan's footsteps.
"Itsuki, it's raining. What are we going to do this afternoon?" she asked.
"Well, I was thinking about doing some physical training, but..."
I trailed off, looking out the window.
The sky that had been perfectly clear earlier was now filled with heavy clouds, and rain was pouring down like someone had upended a bucket over the house.
"Let's practice magic instead."