I sit back down on the tree silently, and Reina sits next to me with a smile on her face.
My past memories tell me a smile is an animal’s biggest intimidating gesture. And that smile on Reina’s face is definitely scary.
“…Arata?”
“Yes?”
I get the feeling from the pressure exuding from her that I shouldn’t go against her right now. She really is a mage of another world.
“I’ve never seen a human punch a monster so far that I can’t see it anymore. How did you do that?”
“M-magic?”
I say, and Reina’s smile turns stiff for a second.
“I couldn’t do that even if I used all my magic energy to strengthen my body… Are you saying you’re a better mage than me, one of the seven great mages?”
“No… That’s not true. That was actually the first time I saw magic.”
I feel like I stepped on a landmine, so I stop trying to cover this with lies.
There was no such thing as magic in my old world, and Reina is the first person I met in this one. This time I answer truthfully, and Reina’s face starts twitching as she stays silent.
Apparently she’s a pretty strong mage, and the type to be very proud of that.
Still, I think I have a good eye for people. She’s a rational person, and I’m sure we can reach an understanding if I’m careful about this subject.
“I’m not a mage. That was a lie.”
“Hm… So you did that without using magic?”
“…Yes…”
I answered truthfully, so obviously, that’s her conclusion. It looks like I’m pretty bad at picking my words.
Should I just reveal everything at this point?
But just as I’m thinking that, Reina suddenly stops smiling and her expression turns apologetic.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pressure you or anything. I was just so surprised…”
“No, I know very well that it’s weird.”
“But you saved my life. And even if it didn’t hurt you, you still stepped in front of me to protect me too. And yet here I am…”
It sounds like Reina is thinking back to what she was just doing and condemning herself.
I don’t know what to do. I just reincarnated here from another world, and I don’t know what’s common sense here, but at the very least I know what I did before wasn’t natural. It makes sense for Reina to feel suspicious.
We look about the same age, but I was thirty years old. I have experience as a salaryman, and I can’t let a girl that’s old enough to be in school fret over me.
I need to do something, as an adult.
“Don’t make that face, Reina. I’m not mad or anything.”
“…Are you treating me like a kid?”
“I’m not.”
“…All right, fine then.”
Talking to her in a carefree way has probably distracted her a bit from all that, because her expression is a little brighter.
Even if we don’t always understand each other, I’m sure it will be fine if we at least try, and get closer. Communication is important. Smiling is important.
If you make sure to look at the other person and do and say what they want, they’ll definitely feel better.
If we share bad things, we’ll become more at ease, and if we celebrate good things together, we’ll be twice as happy. That’s how happiness spreads. Humans are a race that learned how to speak, after all.
“By the way, are the seven great mages that great?”
“Ah?”
It’s like I can see an angry mark on her forehead. I stepped on another landmine.
Words are something used for people to understand each other, but I forgot that they can be a weapon too.
I honestly completely forgot that I asked to reincarnate on an island like this because I’m lacking in communication skills on the first place.
“Just how remote was the place where you lived, if you don’t know the seven great mages?”
“Haha, my memory is a bit…”
I try to talk my way out of it, and Reina looks exasperated.
“What a convenient amnesia… Well if you don’t know anything, I’ll teach you.”
“A-about what?”
“What’s common sense in the continent.”
I feel like a weird switch was flipped inside Reina, and she tells me seven great mages is a title given to the strongest mages in the continent.
They are strong enough to face a dragon alone, and are admired throughout the continent. And Reina here is the youngest person to become one of those prestigious mages.
“Ooh, incredible.”
“…That was strangely subdued, but fine. Anyway, that’s how great of a mage I am, but I can’t create an effect like that even if I strengthen my body as much as I can.”
And that’s why she’s so concerned about what I did.
I still don’t know very well what mages are like, but it sounds to me like they’re researchers. I get the feeling they might dissect me if I ever went to her continent.
“Yep, I’m never leaving this island.”
“How did you get there from what I said?”
Reina looks confused, but don’t dwell on that too much.
Anyway, one thing I understand is that she’s incredible and overflowing with talent, so I’ll have to rely on her for a while.
“We can’t stay here forever. We need to find water and a place to settle down and rest, or we will both starve to death and become a meal for those monsters.”
“That’s right. Let’s go that way for now.”
“Any particular reason?”
“I feel like I can hear water flowing.”
“I don’t hear anything…”
Apparently my senses have been heightened too, because I can hear things pretty far away if I concentrate. And if I focus my attention there, I can hear a waterfall or a river… Water running.
After our break, Reina and I start walking over there, until we eventually find a calm river flowing between the trees. The water is completely clear, and has an air of purity to it.
“You were right… Eh? But we walked a lot, so how come you heard this quiet noise?”
Reina is surprised, but right now it’s more important to know if we can drink this water.
I touch it, and it’s cold. I have ‘a strong body that won’t get sick or hurt’, so I think I’ll be fine even if this water is filled with bacteria, but the same can’t be said for Reina.
And so, I scoop up some water with my hands and drink it.
This forest is dense, and strangely humid.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been walking through it for a while, but this water passing through my dry throat feels like the tastiest drink I’ve ever had.
This is what people mean when they talk about something spreading through their entire body.
“Yes… I feel like you can probably drink this too.”
I say as I turn around, and see Reina sitting on a chair that I’m pretty sure wasn’t there before, with water on a pot that I’m pretty sure wasn’t there before, boiling it with fire that I’m pretty sure wasn’t there before.
Not to mention that she has what looks like ingredients to make a meal next to her. She’s briskly preparing everything to start cooking.
That’s weird. This is all really weird.
“Reina?”
“What is it?”
She keeps working that cookware like a five star chef with a serious expression on her face, and doesn’t turn around to face me.
What stands out to me the most is how she’s handling that kitchen knife. She’s clearly a pro.
“Where did you get all this?”
“Eh? I just used storage magic.”
“…I see.”
It’s my fault for assuming the only magic in this world is the offensive kind like fire and water that I know from games.
I’m sure this storage magic that she’s talking about is something that works like a storehouse that she can use anywhere.
I don’t understand the principles behind it one bit, but it’s useful, so I’ll just be happy that she has it.
Unlike me, Reina has a place to go back to, so it’s nice that she at least has some means to achieve that goal.
“Still…”
This forest is clearly an undeveloped land, so all I can see when I see Reina using these civilized tools is a young lady out on a camping trip.
I watched a lot of videos about camping, and fantasized about going out in nature when I eventually got a break from work, so looking at her is making me jealous.
So I approach her, and…
“I want to do something too.”
“Yes yes, it’s dangerous, so maybe later.”
Reina keeps on expertly chopping ingredients with her kitchen knife, while casually shooting down my hopes.
Thanks for the chapter!