Volume 5 - CH 20

"That day, I felt an emphatic reaction when I touched you."

"Emphatic… reaction?"

"Yeah...... A reaction in response to meeting someone who possesses the quality to acquire the <Immortality> skill just like me."

Yuishia already came to know that I had the <Immortality> skill, but realizing that even she has a chance to acquire the same immortality skill, her eyes went wide to the limit— in fact, compared to all the tumultuous adventures she just went through, this was the one that surprised her the most.

"Huh, you're joking, right? I mean, I'm just a commoner, a daughter of a fisherman, and I was initially incompetent...... It's just ridiculous to think I can acquire such a mythical skill like <Immortality>."

"If there's something I have understood from inspecting your body, it's that the nature of <Immortality> is completely independent of a person's lineage or their skill in magic."

It's the quality that genesis people, the direct creations of gods, possessed.

People who were born while inheriting that quality from their ancestors could acquire it by housing huge mana reserves in their bodies. Immortal Sages or Witches that appeared in folklore, legends, or myths were precisely the same kinds of people.

That was why there should be a lot of people who just led normal lives even if they have the quality to become <Immortal> because they lack in the mana and magic department, resulting in their <Immortality> factor never blossoming.

On the other hand, there should be an equal number of magicians who, despite housing a huge mana capacity and diligently training their magic, could never acquire <Immortality> because they lacked the inherent quality to become one.

"Then, Chise-san helped me because you want me to become one of your <Immortal> comrades? Does that mean Teto-san also has this skill which is why she never seems to age?"

"...... You're wrong. Teto was originally a golem I created which evolved into a Golem Demonic Species."

"That's right!"

As I revealed Teto's true status at Yuishia's question, Teto changed a part of her body to mud to show her.

"Oh, so that's why...... Good grief, it seems nothing is impossible for Chise-san."

She has received so many surprises in just one day that she was completely accepting everything with an 'Oh, well that's how it is' attitude.

"And, I didn't save you to make you an <Immortal> like me. My plan initially was to let you act independently once you are somewhat capable of living on your own."

I had intended to purchase that house after our trip to the floating island as a gift to Yuishia for becoming independent. Well, it was a pity that the plan changed to us running out of there due to the King who desired <Immortality> and Olbert who used this fact to make him his ally.

"Besides, Majou-sama said that there's no guarantee <Immortality> will grant Yuishia happiness."

I chuckled dryly at Teto who spoke about the words I had once said to her before on a whim.

"Perpetual youth and long lifespan… aren't they something amazing......?"

"It has been just 30 years since I acquired this skill, but it's mainly because I was capable enough that I can pursue the lifestyle I want."

"Ah..."

Yusihia mumbled, she must have noticed the underlying meaning in my words.

Had I been powerless, I would have fallen prey to the schemes of the Suzurland's apparent heir Olbert, captured by him, and reduced to just a pet so that he could research the 'secret of immortality'.

Besides, she may have felt my sadness of being unable to grow old but still seeing my own child growing up and becoming an adult whenever I talked about my step-daughter Selene.

"That's why I made you my disciple, but it's not because of <Immortality>. You only have <Slow-Aging> at present which just provides you with a long lifespan, so you can still pass away naturally."

Yuishia has already gained enough mana, knowledge, and magic skills to comfortably earn 3 gold coins per day.

We had to flee from the Lovile kingdom due to the drama there but she could still live an independent life by moving to the Iska Kingdom or the Gard Beastkin Nation and leading a normal life as a human.

Rather, I would very much recommend it, but---

"Chise-san. I still want to learn many things from you! Besides, I would hate myself if I parted with you here without ascertaining the matter of the floating island with my own eyes!"

"Yuishia......"

"That's why, forget about things like <Immortality>, please continue to take care of things as usual!"

After saying that, Yuishia bowed her head making a bitter smile appear on my lips.

"And then there are the floating islands, mythical beasts, ancient dragons, or even the goddesses! Every single entity is something you would never encounter in your normal life! I am dead sure if I leave here to live an ordinary life...... I will absolutely regret it 'til my death!"

"Fufu, I see. Indeed, it might be so."

"Let's work together!"

I quietly nodded in favor of Yuishia's enthusiasm.

In this way, the preparation to accept the migrants from the Floating Island began, and so did the life of Yuishia as my disciple.

SIDE: Yuishia

My life as the disciple of Chise-san in the mansion of the <Empty Wilderness> hadn't changed that much.

"Good Morning, Kuro-san, Ai-san."

<Nya~>

<Good Morning, Yuishia-sama.>

I really wonder why Kuro-san was acting together with me even though we managed to return him to his birthplace, the floating island, after so much hard work.

There was also the maid Ai-san who had been assigned to me by the head maid Baretta-san to teach me about the things in the mansion. Apparently, there were just too many places in this mansion that I could get lost in if I acted alone.

Then, after having breakfast with Chise-san and others in the dining room, I also focused on my work under the guidance of Ai-san.

"Ai-san, I want to practice my magic, where can I do it...?"

<Please follow me to the northern transfer gate for it.>

Ai-san guided me to a room where multiple transfer gates were installed, and from there, I passed through the transfer gate connecting to the northern wilderness.

"Here it is, a barren land......"

<We have been focusing on the reformation of the forests as per Master's instruction, but that too is basically limited to the central region where the mansion is and then mainly in the southern area, so the northern area here is still untouched.>

"I see, then this is a suitable place to use magic, indeed."

<Yes. Everyone, from Master when she wants to test her new magic to Teto-sama and Baretta-sama when they want to have a close-combat match and even us maids, when we want to do independent training we use this region.>

There are craters here and there on the barren earth which have been left behind from all the wild acts.

<Anyway, good luck in your magic training, Yuishia-sama.>

Then Ai-san moved to stand behind me to look over my magic training.

I used my magic, meditated to recover my mana, and then repeated it again for my mana training. This place was devoid of monsters to fight, and neither could I subjugate them to level up, so my magic training was basically a repetition practice.

However just doing that would also be stressful to the spirit, so I also set aside some time to delve deeper into the study of magic from the books that Chise-san has gathered while traveling with Teto-san to the floating island and get in touch with the people or mythical beasts there, occasionally visiting the surrounding villages with Chise-san through her <Teleportation Magic>, or earning some pocket money by selling potions during the said trips.

I had taken up the alias of 'Yui', judging that the Lovile kingdom must have already placed a bounty on us, and led a life isolated from the secular world.

Amidst all that, it became a daily routine of mine to check if the <Slow-Aging> skill has yet changed to the <Immortality> or not in the status screen.