Paradigm Parasite

"Is that Uzbek Animos you were talking about a long way away?"

"No. If we use the sand, it shouldn't take more than half a day."

We left the special zone and headed out of the city at a quick pace.

Aspizal's question is answered as I dig out the contents of my memory.

I never actually went there, but it must have been something like that in terms of distance.

...But I'm talking about the beastman standard.

They have the means to become beastly, so they are faster than normal humans.

If you take that into account, there's a bit more distance. ......

"I wonder what's going on with that big one full of them?"

The expression on Aspizal's face is filled with curiosity.

Seeing this, Yonomori rebukes him, but it doesn't seem to have much effect.

Once outside the city, Aspizal immediately begins to manipulate the sand to move around.

...And how is he doing this, anyway? Can't I do it too?

I think it's probably some kind of magic, but I have no idea how it works.

Looking sideways at the sand being manipulated, I can see that he's manipulating magic - but is it his unique ability?

"Do you mind?"

Aspizal, who has noticed my gaze, says so as he looks forward.

"Yeah. It's magical, but it looks different from anything I know."

"I can't tell you the details, but it's my original."

...Surprised.

Basically, there are five types of magic: earth, water, wind, fire and self-acting enhancement.

If you have that down, you can theoretically use most magic.

Incidentally, the gravity manipulation I use belongs to a category of magic that is outside the system.

It's the kind of rare skill that is familiar in this kind of fiction.

Most of them are created by someone else and only passed on to their apprentices or relatives, so there are very few people who can use them.

...Well, it's only a rare skill, not a unique one.

Anyone can use them as long as the usage and conditions are met.

Now, let's get back to the story.

The reason why you can handle most magic is because you always need to lay down the basic formation when chanting - in short, when building a formation.

For example, when using [Flame], which is a higher level magic of [Fire], it is first necessary to write an additional description based on a [Fire] formation.

In other words, if something deals with fire, a fire formation is always used, and if something deals with water, a water formation is always used.

To express this in an easy-to-understand graphic form, basic magic is a circle. Extended magic - II and III - is a double or triple circle.

The applied type is a layering of circles.

The sand manipulation used by the aspizal this time is different if it is said to be magic of the earth attribute.

This is because it is not creating sand, but manipulating the sand that originally exists.

There is no lack of magic that remotely manipulates objects, but it is a completely different category.

This is because creating and manipulating require completely different processes.

In fact, the majority of magic is directional in its creation and used for attacks in the form of projectiles.

Tornadoes and other things that mimic natural phenomena also appear to be manipulated, but they are merely guided by constantly sending winds and so on.

In my case, it's manipulation, but I have to devote a certain amount of resources to the process.

In other words, Aspizal, who is constantly operating, is one of the best magic users I have ever seen.

The only one who might be able to compete is Vertex?

I've heard that guy is pretty good when it comes to magic too, but I didn't see much of the battle, so I can't say anything about that.

"It's fun, isn't it? It's a bit tricky, but once you get used to it, it's easy."

"I'd like to know what the trick is."

"That's a secret."

...Oh, okay.

If it's so easy, can Yonomori use it too?

I suddenly think of this and turn my gaze to her.

Noticing my gaze, Yonomori shook her head.

"I can't use it. In the first place, I can only use simple physical enhancements. That chanting thing is difficult..."

I can sort of understand that.

As magic chanting requires a great deal of concentration, it inevitably leads to poor movement, which is probably why it is not easy to use from a vanguard type like Yonomori.

"Really? You don't just do a little drawing in your head while moving. It's easy."

"That drawing is the hard part for me."

Aspizal is now used to moving around and is more relaxed, so he talks actively to us.

"What about Roe? You can use magic, can't you?"

"Well, I could use it, but as you can see, I'm basically a vanguard."

I shrug my shoulders as I say this.

I'm not saying I can't use it, but I'm not saying I can use it either.

"Maybe it's time we got to know each other a bit better."

"We've broken the ice enough, haven't we?"

I'm not joking.

How can I allow people like you to get to me?

Then I think back.

--Have I ever been able to give anyone the benefit of the doubt?

.............

No.

I can't help but wonder if I'm doing the right thing, but - no.

I can't imagine myself being able to accept other people.

I think I'm a small person, but at the root of my thinking is the idea that other people are potential enemies.

This is the influence of that thing, which has recently become suspiciously like the original me.

To be honest, it's not that I don't have thoughts about it, but as long as I accept the idea myself, I can't do anything about it, and I have no intention of doing so.

"By the way, what do you think about Hie-san earlier? As far as I'm concerned, he seemed pretty decent..."

Aspizal had an expression as if to say 'I wonder if that's so', but as Yonomori forcefully changed the subject, the flow shifted that way too.

"That's right. To be honest, I'd like him to be one of us, but since he's established himself and his position to that extent, it's hard to move his heart no matter what we say, isn't it?"

"What? You're not going to try to kill them?"

When I sarcastically prod him, Yonomori is somewhat astonished and Aspizal smiles bitterly.

"That's the kind of move I'd make if I were inviting someone in as Darzain, but this time I'm being a snooper. I'm looking for a personal companion, so it's a bit different."

"A personal companion...? Come to think of it, you've said something similar before."

"Hey ......"

Aspizal stopped Yonomori, who was about to raise her voice, by shaking his head.

"We've got time, and if it's true, I was thinking of doing it after we've sorted this out, but why don't we do it now?"

After some thought, I nodded.

I had some free time until we got there anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"First of all, I'm not looking for Durzain's apostles, but my people who are genuinely willing to help me."

"...... what difference does it make?"

As long as you're the head of the organisation, you'll see that if you're one of them, you'll be incorporated into the force.

Or are you going to make them do the easy stuff at first, make them feel good, and then make them belong to you by force?

If so, that's just shallow.

"No, it's not. Because it's that Darzine you're dealing with."

...what?

"......, what does that mean?"

"Well, to be precise, the target is an organisation nominally affiliated with Darzain called Tuke, but you know what?"

"Not in detail."

I think that's where Vertex took the demon parts and ran away, right?

I think I heard that the bat-woman belonged there too.

"To be honest. Durzain now is practically like a subcontractor of Tuke's."

"What the hell is that?"

I couldn't help but think out loud.

When I thought for a moment about the meaning of Aspizal's words, I remembered that.

It was Dāzain who attacked me in the Royal Capital.

So it wasn't Tuke, it was Dāzain.

Considering that it wasn't Dāzain who were robbed, but they attacked us, are they being used in a good way, even if they don't have to be?

"Well, there's a lot going on with the organisation now that it's going full steam ahead. I found myself in a position where I couldn't fight back."

"You're not the boss?"

"Not in title. My father is in charge. He's bedridden, so I'm just the intermediary between him and the organisation."

"Bedridden?"

"Yes, he's old. He's in a hurry because he doesn't have much time. In this world, you can manage most illnesses and injuries with expensive potions and strong restorative magic, but you can't manage senility."

In short, you're tired of looking after your father and you want to give up your title? Or do you want to change the way the organisation is run, or something like that?

"Are you aiming to make the organisation more open?"

Aspizal laughs and shakes his head when he hears this.

"No, no. I just want to be free. I've tried not to go against my father's wishes because he provided for me until I reached this age, but I'm beginning to think it's time to move on. My subordinates are also his subordinates, and although they don't go against him, many of them have strange ambitions, and to be honest, it's choking me."

So you're the one who wants to get rid of your title.

"A lot of the converts are selfish - or rather, they're kind of misunderstood, and I was sick of putting them in a good mood, and now that we're here, you know, there's no reason for them not to move on."

Aspizal's expression was the same smile as usual, but something akin to resignation, albeit faintly, was oozing out.

"It's not about right and wrong or anything like that. I want to be free. That's all I really want. ...... Can you think about that while this one's being cleared up? Of course, but not for free. I'll do most anything I can for a fee, and I'll provide you with whatever you want, if I can."

At least it doesn't look like he's lying.

If it's an act, he's a great actor, but at least I understand what's going on.

Well, I don't even know what the story is.

I don't know if I can take it or not.

"I understand."

That's all I say back.

It is nice that I don't have to answer immediately. Let's think about it for a bit.

When I return my attention to the scenery in front of me, I can vaguely see my destination out of the corner of my eye.