Chapter 8

The next day, I came to the church early in the morning.

Looking up at the roof, the "Six Circles" were still there as usual.

Amelia and Loreta had gone to work, and this was the time I usually helped out in the neighbors' fields.

But today, there was something I really wanted to ask Rady.

I wanted to have her do "that" again.

(This is... something I can't do on my own.)

No matter how hard I tried to concentrate, I felt nothing.

Feeling so frustrated, I quickly gave up on practicing on my own.

Maybe if I got a little more used to it, I could grasp something.

With that thought, I came to the church, but unfortunately, Rady was not there.

I asked for permission from the old priest, Kifurodo, and Mika waited by the side of the building.

Two people, Kifurodo and Rady, live in the church of Rish Village.

Kifurodo was originally sent from the cathedral of the diocese, but Rady seems to have moved in from some monastery.

Kifurodo has been the priest in Rish Village for decades, so he is well-trusted by the villagers and has known Rady since before she became a nun.

Incidentally, Kifurodo seems to be the oldest person in Rish Village.

With his white hair, long beard, and wrinkled face, the cheerful old priest looks like he could be 70 or 100 years old.

While waiting, I noticed Rady walking down the main street.

Rady also noticed me and smiled.

(As always, she looks like the Virgin Mary. Maybe I should call her the "Smiling Virgin Mary.")

Thinking such impolite thoughts, which didn't seem like I was there to learn, Rady came up to the church and greeted me, "Good morning, Mika-kun."

I responded and bowed slightly.

"What are you doing out here? Please, come inside."

Encouraged by Rady, I entered the church.

I was told to sit in the front row as I did yesterday, but I bowed without sitting.

"Sister Rady, I want you to do what we did yesterday again."

I waited for Rady's response with my head bowed, but she neither said "yes" nor "no."

After a while, she said, "Please look up."

Her voice was not as bright as usual, so I hesitantly raised my head.

As expected, Rady looked troubled.

"Mika-kun, don't worry. Your magic power will grow little by little, and you can learn how to handle it at the academy or the church."

"That might be true, but..."

There's nothing urgent right now.

When the time comes, I will be measured again, and if I have potential, I will go to the academy. Even if not, I can still learn at the church.

I understand that, but I can't help feeling restless.

Maybe I should say I'm fidgety.

It's a desire to find a new hobby and immerse myself in it.

My inability to switch focus is showing here too.

Looking up at her, Rady sighed.

"Stop looking at me like that."

Rady, looking even more troubled, ruffled my hair roughly.

It was a bit different from her usual gentle touch.

Staring at her, who seemed to be in a rare state of conflict, I continued to look at her.

"...Alright, I'll do it. There's nothing I can do."

Saying this with a resigned tone, she smoothed out my slightly messy hair and held out her hands as she did yesterday.

"I don't know what you want to do, but your magic power is not much. We know this from the measurement. It's not meaningful to force it now."

Rady said this in a slightly stricter voice than usual.

I responded with a "Yes" and placed my hands on hers.

"Let's start. Focus your mind. Don't force it."

With Rady's serious voice, I nodded.

I closed my eyes and focused my mind on my hands and ears.

The sound of "Kiiin" came quickly.

Ripples spread from both hands, resonating throughout my body.

(Here it comes. This is it.)

The clear sound and ripples resonating comfortably within my body.

A thrilling sensation that made me shiver.

I felt like I could lose consciousness and let myself be carried away by the pleasant resonance.

Suddenly, I remembered Rady talking about God's love with a blissful expression.

If Rady was experiencing a similar sensation, it made sense why she looked that way.

(...I shouldn't be indulging in this. I need to grasp some hint.)

The "sound" resonating throughout my body was something I could perceive but not touch.

No matter how I directed my consciousness, I only felt the sound and ripples resonating throughout my body, and I couldn't do anything with it.

(What should I do? How can I control this with my will?)

I focused my mind even more, chasing after the resonating "something."

But it spread and resonated on its own, regardless of my will.

Frustration welled up as I realized I had no clue, and my body tensed up.

"Are you okay, Mika-kun?"

Rady noticed my tense body and called out to me.

"Yes... I'm fine."

I responded with my eyes closed and still focused.

Rady watched me carefully and continued the "Rite of Secret Perception."

I continued to focus my mind.

The waves of magical interference I felt in both hands. Ripples.

Rady had mentioned "flowing magic" yesterday, but I hadn't asked how she interfered specifically.

"...What are you doing, Sister Rady?"

Suddenly, these words slipped out of my mouth.

It was a very vague question, but Rady understood correctly.

"My magic is weak, thin, and touches your hands like a thread. It's a slight push. It disappears quickly, though."

"...Weak."

I repeated Rady's words.

"Can you make it stronger?"

"Of course. Let's try a few things."

Rady gradually increased the magic she sent to me, but only slightly.

This time, she introduced changes.

She altered the strength of the magic sent to each hand and tried a few variations.

Unlike the beautiful resonance earlier, now various sounds and ripples were flying around inside me.

In a word, it was "chaotic."

It wasn't noise, and it wasn't loud.

It was just a completely disharmonious sound resonating randomly.

The sound would shift to the right, then to the left, and sometimes from the front or the back.

A flood of incomprehensible sounds, along with ripples, washed over me.

When I tried to push back against the incoming sounds, I felt a slight resistance.

Wondering what it was, I directed my consciousness there, but found nothing.

However, when I pushed back against the incoming sounds a few times, I sometimes felt a resistance.

(...Is this a clue?)

After pushing back a few times, I tried to add my own consciousness to the momentum instead of pushing back.

If it went to the right, I pushed to the right; if it went to the left, I pushed to the left. The resonance grew stronger and gained momentum.

Slowly, I released Rady's hands and focused on the flow of sound and ripples within me.

I moved my consciousness to the right and left, maintaining the momentum.

The resonance continued without weakening.

"Mika-kun?"

Rady called out, but I couldn't respond.

I was so focused on the resonance and ripples within me that I didn't hear her.

The image in my mind was like stirring water with my hands.

Like mixing bathwater, I was stirring the magic within me with my hands.

It wasn't as solid as the resistance of water, but I was interfering with my magic in a similar way.

By doing this, I could maintain the resonance without weakening it.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Rady looking at me with concern.

I bowed to Rady, careful not to let my consciousness wander.

"Thank you, Sister Rady. I feel like I've found a clue."

"That's good. But don't overdo it. You'll surely be able to handle magic if you take your time."

Responding with a "Yes," I continued to move the magic within me to the right and left, careful not to let my consciousness wander.

"Be careful on your way home. Handling magic can be very tiring, and you might feel dizzy."

"Yes, I'll be careful."

With that, I left the church.

Seeing my body sway slowly from side to side, Rady wondered if she should accompany me home.

On my way back from the church, I continued to move the magic within me to the right and left while walking.

It felt like the water in an aquarium was swaying.

I moved my consciousness to the right and left in sync with the swaying.

The fluctuations in my magic grew stronger and weaker, responding to my will.

It was no longer just ripples but more like large waves of water.

"This is magic...?"

The sensation was still faint, but I could maintain the fluctuations.

I had no idea how to use this to perform a "Miracle of God," but I decided to practice moving it a bit more.

Thinking this, I walked home, but it was still early.

Considering going home right away, I decided to take a walk.

I hadn't finished exploring the eastern side of the village, so I headed towards the eastern fence.

On the eastern side of the village, at the northeastern end, is the textile factory where Amelia and Loreta work.

The factory, which extends eastward along the northern river, was quite large when seen up close.

It was a bit taller than ordinary houses, with a spacious building like a community gym, and there were four of them in a row.

I had seen them from the north gate, but they were far away, so I hadn't paid much attention.

(The textile factory also has a spinning mill attached, right?)

The fields on both sides of the road connecting Rish Village and Cottonesse are cotton fields.

There are some vegetable fields near the village, but everything else is cotton fields.

It seems that Rish Village was established to produce thread and textiles.

The village is maintained by managing the vast cotton fields and the industries of spinning and weaving.

In fact, almost 100% of the village's labor force is engaged in cotton fields or the textile factory.

They do not dye the products but deliver the "natural" thread and textiles to the lord and earn wages to live.

There is almost no livestock farming, so they buy everything they need from Cottonesse.

It seems like a precarious foundation for life and economy, but considering the cultural level of this world, economic activities are probably still developing.

The current situation of Rish Village, where both money and resources are controlled by the lord, is quite scary, but it might be the norm in this world.

(The lord can control life and death with a single decision... Since there are no other roads connected to the village except for Cottonesse, there are no other options.)

Thinking about my future, I felt a sense of despair.

There is no freedom of career choice in this village, and it might not even exist in this world.

(A complete hereditary system would be terrible.)

While moving the magic within me, I wondered what to do.

Then, a man came out of one of the textile factory buildings.

He seemed to be heading to the next building, but when he noticed me, he put down the box he was carrying and came over.

The man was short but sturdy, with a barrel-like appearance.

I approached the familiar man.

"Hey, Mika-kun. What are you doing here? Do you have something for your mother?"

"Hello, Horacio-san. Thank you for helping me the other day."

I bowed politely, and Horacio looked surprised.

Horacio was someone I knew before the switch.

He was the supervisor of Amelia and Loreta's workplace, and I had met him many times. He occasionally gave me sweets.

(...At that time, I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that I was saved thanks to this person's judgment.)

Horacio found me collapsed from heatstroke and took me in.

However, it wasn't as simple as being saved because he took me in.

The place where I collapsed was on the road connecting Rish Village and Cottonesse, but it was much closer to Cottonesse.

Cottonesse also had a church and users of the "Miracle of God."

However, Horacio immediately decided to take me to Rish Village for treatment.

The reason was simple: money.

Usually, the "Miracle of God" for "Healing" is not free.

While it's officially a donation, you are unlikely to receive healing without a donation.

The more serious the illness or injury, the higher the donation amount.

Considering the risk of being refused healing if you can't pay on the spot, Horacio decided to return to Rish Village without hesitation.

Rady would never abandon a village child, and he knew this, so he judged that it was more reliable to return to the distant Rish Village rather than the closer Cottonesse.

I had met Rady several times since being saved, but I hadn't seen Horacio yet.

Since Horacio was usually at the factory, I hadn't had the chance to meet him.

"You've become much more polite in your greetings. I was surprised."

He said this with amazement and laughed heartily.

Despite his appearance, which could kill a bull, Horacio was popular with children because he liked them.

I often saw him playing with children during busy times at the harvest festival and other village events.

Of course, children who met him for the first time would cry at his appearance, including the former Mika.

Horacio checked Mika's appearance and muttered, "You look much better now."

"I was really surprised back then. I thought your heart had stopped."

"...I'm sorry."

Mika apologized sincerely.

If it weren't for this person, I might have lost my life.

"Being healthy is good, but don't worry your mother and sister too much."

Mika responded with a "Yes..." and hung his head.

Loreta had explained the incident, and he knew how much worry and trouble he had caused.

"So, what are you doing here today? If you need to see your mother, I can call her for you."

"I'm fine. I'm just taking a walk."

"Alright? If anything happens, just let me know. I'll call her for you."

With that, Horacio turned to leave but stopped and looked puzzled.

He stared at Mika for a moment and then picked him up.

"Huh?"

"It seems you're not feeling well. You should rest a bit."

"Wha... Why?"

"Can't you tell? You're a bit wobbly. I can't let you go home like this."

With that, Horacio carried Mika into one of the buildings.

He marched down the corridor and entered a large room.

It looked more like an employee cafeteria than a break room.

There was a long counter, and several women were busy preparing lunch on the other side.

The cafeteria had more than ten tables, and there were a few long benches in the corner.

When he was seated on one of the benches, an old lady who was wiping a table came over.

"Oh, supervisor. What's the matter? Is this... Mika-kun? What happened?"

"He didn't seem to be feeling well. Let him rest for a bit."

"Oh my, let me get you some water."

The old lady brought a glass of water.

She asked someone to check on Mika, and Horacio went somewhere.

Mika, who had no idea what was wrong with his health, felt uncomfortable with this treatment.

"Um... I'm really fine, really."

"Oh, don't be shy, child."

While taking the glass, Mika's words didn't get through to the old lady.

Feeling like he wanted to run away from the warm, watchful gaze of the old lady, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

While wondering what to do, he took a sip of the water.

Focusing his mind inward, he searched for the fluctuations in his magic, which were slightly weaker.

Surprised by the sudden change, he had completely forgotten about his magic.

When he refocused and moved it to the right and left, the fluctuations quickly returned to normal.

"Mika!"

After a while, Amelia came into the cafeteria.

She seemed to have rushed over, slightly out of breath.

(Oh no, Horacio-san! You even called Amelia!?)

Calling his working parent was quite an overreaction.

Feeling exasperated, Mika's appearance was interpreted as being due to his health.

Amelia's worry seemed to be at its peak.

Horacio also returned and started discussing whether to take him home, to the church, or to have Rady use the "Miracle of God."

"Wait, wait! Don't worry so much! I'm fine! Really, I'm fine!"

"You can't be fine if you're wobbling like that."

"…………………………. Wobbling?"

He was puzzled.

Now that he thought about it, Horacio had said something similar earlier.

Wondering what they meant, he realized his body was swaying.

When he moved the magic to the right, his body moved to the right, and when he moved it to the left, his body moved to the left.

(Oh no!? Was I unconsciously swaying my body while moving my magic!?)

Embarrassed by such a silly reason, Mika's face turned red.

"See, your face is even red. You should really let Sister Rady check you—"

"Really! I'm really fine! It's just... um..."

He needed to come up