The 27th day of the Month of Earth. Before my eyes stretched a landscape shrouded in pure white ice. Even though I knew I was safe thanks to Shiro-san’s Blessing, I couldn't help but feel it looked freezing—perhaps simply because I was outdoors.
“...I’m sorry, Isis-san. Barging in like this and making such a request out of the blue...”
“...No... If it’s for Kaito... you’re always... very welcome.”
“Thank you very much.”
“...Yes... You need... gemstones... right?”
I was currently gathering materials for the music box I planned to give Lilia-san. Yesterday, I’d finalized the design and finer details with Alice, and now the real work had begun.
To find the gemstone that would serve as the centerpiece, I had decided to rely on Isis-san. I truly had no words to express my gratitude for her kindness; she had welcomed my sudden visit with open arms.
“Yes. What kind of gemstone do you think would be best? I’m afraid I don’t know much about jewels...”
“...You’re going to... carve it... right? ...It’s a bit difficult... but I think... a Midnight Crystal... would be good.”
“A Midnight Crystal?”
“...Yes... Among Ice Crystals... the particularly deep blue and rare ones... are called that... They are hard... but resistant to crumbling... and though not as much as a Magic Crystal... they store magic power... so they are easy to work with.”
I see. So Midnight Crystals were a subset of Ice Crystals, even rarer than the already scarce common varieties. When I’d visited Isis-san before and tried mining for fun, I didn't remember seeing anything like that.
“I see. So they aren't easily found.”
“...Yes... But... it’s okay... If it’s me... I can find one immediately.”
“Isis-san, I appreciate the thought... but I’d like to try doing it with my own strength as much as possible. Ah, of course, I can’t do everything alone, though...”
“...I understand... If that’s what Kaito wants... I will support you.”
Hearing my desire to do as much as I could myself, Isis-san nodded with a gentle smile. She held her hand toward the mountain of ice in front of us, her palm glowing with a pale blue flash of magic power.
“...But... I’ll help... just a little.”
“!?”
The next moment, a dazzling flash erupted from Isis-san’s hand. Like a laser, it bored multiple tunnels into the mountain of ice. Ice pillars materialized within moments, reinforcing the shafts to prevent any collapse. In mere seconds, she had transformed the frozen peak into a fully functional mine.
“...There were none... in the parts I just carved... But... with this... I think... it will be easy... to dig... I’ll also... cast a simple Defense Magic.”
“Thank you very much! This helps a lot.”
“...Yes... Good luck... While Kaito is mining... I’ll prepare food... Please don’t... overdo it.”
“I won't!”
From the preparation of the mine shafts to the defensive enchantments, she had provided me with incredible assistance in every way imaginable. I nodded to Isis-san, who offered her encouragement with a gentle smile, then picked up my tools and headed into the tunnel.
I was only at the beginning of gathering materials; I needed to find a Midnight Crystal as quickly as I could.
Three hours later, I was slumped against a wall, gasping for breath.
“I-I can’t find any...”
I had been mining single-mindedly since entering the tunnel and had managed to find a fair number of Ice Crystals. However, they were all a pale, watery blue. I hadn't seen a single deep blue Midnight Crystal.
It might simply be that my pace was slow because I wasn't used to mining, but it was disheartening. Forget deep blue—I hadn't even found anything that looked remotely dark.
Even Shiro-san’s Blessing, which protected me from the cold, couldn't ward off physical exhaustion. My arms were heavy from swinging the pickaxe. As I steadied my ragged breathing and considered where to dig next, I saw Isis-san floating softly toward me.
“...Kaito... Did you find any?”
“No, not at all... It’s quite difficult.”
“...I see... Let’s take... a short break. ...I brought... lunch.”
“Oh, thank you very much.”
To my surprise, Isis-san had brought food for me. I had completely lost track of the time. Now that she mentioned it, my hunger had been masked by my fatigue. It was wonderful timing.
As Isis-san reached my side, a magic circle appeared, manifesting a table and chairs. She placed a large plate on the table and released the Status Preservation Magic, allowing warm steam to rise into the air.
“...I made... stew. ...Please eat. ...I’ve put up a barrier... so it won't get cold.”
“Thank you very much. I’ll dig in.”
“...Yes... Here... Ahh—n.”
“...Eh?”
The White Stew Isis-san had prepared wafted a delicious aroma that made my stomach growl. But as I moved to start eating, Isis-san picked up a spoon as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She scooped up a mouthful of stew, cradled her other hand beneath it, and held it out to me.
Wait, is this happening again? Am I not allowed to eat with my own hands today?
“...Ahh—n.”
“A-Ahh—n.”
“...How is it?”
“It’s warm and very delicious.”
The stew was the perfect temperature—not too hot, but enough to warm me from the inside out. It was creamy and mild. It was a comforting flavor, much like Isis-san’s own kindness.
“...I’m glad. ...Please eat... a lot.”
“...I will.”
It was still embarrassing, of course, but I allowed myself to enjoy the moment. Savoring the home-cooked meal and her gentle consideration, I felt my heart being warmed along with my body.
Once I had finished the delicious meal and stood up to resume mining, Isis-san spoke up as if she had just had an epiphany.
“...Come to think of it... Kaito... you have Sympathy Magic... right?”
“Eh? Oh, yes.”
“...Since Midnight Crystals... store magic power... if you use Sympathy Magic... it might be... easier to find them.”
“There was a method like that!?”
“...Y-Yes... I don’t know... if you can do it, though.”
That idea was a total blind spot. Until now, I’d only ever used Sympathy Magic to read people's emotions. However, the power was fundamentally rooted in sensing, so it stood to reason that I could use it to detect faint traces of magic power.
According to Isis-san, Midnight Crystals possessed the property of storing mana. While not as efficient as Magic Crystals, they apparently held slightly more than the common Ice Crystals.
“I’ll try it!”
Following her advice, I began searching the surrounding area using Sympathy Magic. Since my own magic capacity wasn't large, I couldn't scan a massive area, but a radius of a few meters was well within my capability.
When I focused my consciousness, I could feel faint pulses of magic coming from various points in the tunnel. I couldn't tell the difference immediately, so I began walking around while keeping my senses sharp.
After about thirty minutes, I felt a pulse of magic that was just a hair stronger than the rest. I struck my pickaxe into the ice at that spot. It was buried fairly deep and took some effort to reach, but eventually, a dark, navy-blue gemstone peeked out from the cracks.
“Ah!”
“...Yes... No doubt... That is... a Midnight Crystal.”
Having successfully discovered one, I switched to more delicate tools and carefully extracted the jewel, which was a few centimeters long. I was moved by the sight of it, but I knew I couldn't stop at one. There was no guarantee I’d get the craftsmanship right on the first try, so I needed spares.
“...Wait... A-Are? My strength is...”
“!? Kaito!”
The moment I thought about digging more, my legs gave out. Isis-san reacted instantly, catching me before I hit the ground, but an overwhelming lethargy washed over me.
“...Wide-range detection... uses a lot of magic power. ...Rest for about an hour.”
“I-I see... Understood.”
“...I will carry you.”
“Eh!? Wait, Isis-san!?”
“...Kaito... is tired. ...I will... carry you.”
“T-That’s helpful, but...”
“...Yes?”
“I... It’s nothing.”
No matter how much more powerful she was than me, being carried princess-style was mortifying for a man. Yet, looking at her sincere worry, I couldn't bring myself to ask her to put me down. I simply endured the shame as she whisked me away.
Yeah, I definitely need to manage my magic power better next time. I have to be more careful.
Dear Mother, Father—
For the first stage of gathering materials for the music box, I visited Isis-san to hunt for gemstones. I only managed to get one Midnight Crystal so far, but even so—I think it’s a solid first step.