(From Manahu's perspective)

  Two weeks have passed since the "New Year"—the equivalent in her world to Creation Day. That day Titla had another small relapse. It wasn't as intense as Christmas. Apparently in her world they have several festivities around these dates, which would be wonderful if she were with her family. Fortunately, the tetloch are very effective at cheering her up—especially Munchi. Now Titla is doing better and seems to have returned to her usual self... By the way... those damn animals...

  "M: TITLA! Those damn tetloch got into the garden again. I told you—if it happened one more time, I'd send them back to the forest!"

  One by one I levitated them out of the garden, then took a look at the damage. Naturally, the chilies had taken the worst of it.

  "T: Sorry... they must have slipped out while I was bathing."

  She said as she ran over, catching them and herding them back into the house.

  "M: I'm sick of those cursed animals. They bite everything, wreck the garden, and their crap is everywhere. I knew it was a mistake to keep them!"

  "T: Calm down, don't get mad at them. Anyway, I'm the one who picks up their poop, and you can always heal the plants with magic, right?"

  "M: Yes and no. Remember when the Beasts of Silence attacked? It works differently on plants and animals. I don't know why, but healing them only restores a bit of stem and leaves. It won't regrow the torn parts or the fruits unless you have them and reattach them while healing."

  "T: Okay, true, but... you can't blame them. It's their nature, and they don't understand what they're doing."

  I glanced at Munchi. He was in Titla's hands, still chewing on one of the uprooted plants. I snatched it from his mouth and began healing the plants. Titla brought Munchi up to her ear as if he were whispering something to her..

  "T: Munchi says he's sorry."

  "M: As far as I know, tetloch don't talk."

  "T: Well, if he could talk, he'd say he's sorry."

  "M: I seriously doubt that."

  Fortunately, their small size came with small destruction. Still, I'm surprised they managed to damage the garden almost as much as the Beasts of Silence had.

  After healing the plants, Titla and I used fire magic to melt the excess snow on the cabin roof and around the ground. I don't know if it's because I've been watching her train with it these past weeks, but I've felt less uncomfortable using fire magic lately. Oh, and ever since I gave it to her, she hasn't let go of that staff. Sometimes she even sleeps with it...

  "M: I see you really liked my gift."

  "T: Well... it's the first thing in this world that's actually mine."

  A faint smile formed on her face.

  "M: If Munchi hears that, he'll get jealous."

  "T: As far as I know, tetloch don't understand words."

  Wait... was that sarcasm?

  "M: Ha, maybe not, but they definitely understand emotions."

  "T: Doesn't matter. You're going to send them back to the forest anyway."

  Her voice sounded more irritated than sad, really.

  "M: Maybe not all of them."

  "T: Huh?"

  "M: I'll let you keep one. I'm pretty sure I already know which one you'll choose. But any disasters it causes will be your fault, and it'll be your responsibility to take care of it. Understood?"

  Her eyes lit up with joy.

  "T: Yes, yes, understood! I promise I'll be the most responsible. You'll see. Thank you!"

  "M: And if you're not, I'll eat it."

  "T: Nooooo!"

  "M: Relax, it's just a joke... or maybe not."

  "T: Shut up."

  Even though it didn't seem to amuse her much, I let out a small laugh at her attitude. Now that I think about it, I've probably laughed more these past weeks than in the last five years since I left the capital. Though that's not really saying much—I'm not exactly a... cheerful person.

  "M: By the way... doesn't it bother you to keep wearing the clothes you arrived in? I mean... they're a constant reminder of your world."

  Titla wore black boots, long gray socks, a long dark gray skirt, a long-sleeved white shirt, and a black coat. It contrasted with her silver hair and light brown skin.

  The pout she'd been making vanished at my question, and she fell thoughtful for a few seconds.

  "T: Well... it's true that sometimes seeing them makes me sad, but... remembering isn't always painful, you know? It also brings joy and nostalgia. Plus, it gives me hope, and I have so few things from my world... I don't want to get rid of them."

  "M: Hmm... remembering doesn't always hurt, huh?"

  I murmured as I looked at the robe on my body and the staff in Titla's hand... I wish I could agree with those words.

  "T: Besides, I don't feel comfortable wearing men's clothes, and they feel very... rustic."

  "M: Well... sorry for not having clothes of the same quality as in your world."

  "T: Apology accepted."

  After clearing the snow, we continued training with space magic. Turns out—she can use that too! I remember the first time she managed to move a small branch; I was left speechless. At this point, I wouldn't even be surprised if she could use darkness.

  "M: You're strong, you know?"

  "T: Yeah, I know. You don't get tired of telling me how impressive and rare my magical ability is."

  "M: I don't mean that kind of strength."

  "T: Then what?"

  "M: In your situation... not everyone would be able to keep going. Especially someone young—being separated from your family, arriving alone in another world, not knowing if you'll ever return... that would break most people."

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Silence fell for a few seconds. Oh no... I probably shouldn't have reminded her of her situation.

  "T: Well... it hasn't been easy either."

  "M: I know. But in general, you don't lose hope. I've seen you smile, play with the tetloch, talk about your world and take interest in this one. That takes strength."

  "T: I guess you're right. Thanks."

  "M: Whatever. Let's continue training."

  "T: Hmm... you're supposed to say 'you're welcome,' rude."

  That night I continued reading, searching for some way to send Titla back to her world... nothing.

  I only had four books. One was about mana and elemental magic—nothing even remotely close. Another was a collection of children's stories; I didn't even bother reading it. Another was the history of the Atloxokli Empire; it mentioned some contracted ones, but nothing apparently useful. And the most promising one was a book on space magic, but it didn't mention anything about other worlds and was so old it didn't even reference Hero Arnulf. I closed the last page in frustration.

  "M: Ugh... I guess we'll have to go to the capital after all."

  I glanced at Titla. She was staring at her technological device with a not-very-pleasant expression.

  "M: What happened?"

  "T: It died."

  "M: What? Who?"

  Don't tell me... did one of the tetloch die? Was it Munchi? No way—he just recovered. I don't want another night of crying.

  "T: My laptop."

  Confused, I turned to her.

  "M: I thought you said those things don't have life."

  "T: They don't. I didn't mean literal death. What I meant is its battery ran out. At least I salvaged everything important."

  "M: And you can't fill it up again?"

  "T: No. I remember we did an experiment with potatoes in middle school, but I forgot how it was done and it could barely power an LED bulb. It's fine—I'd already accepted it anyway."

  "M: And... what happened to all those 'hundreds of libraries'? Isn't there a book that explains how to do it? Or one that says how to return to your world? Mine aren't helping much."

  "T: I don't really have many, and none of them explain electricity technically or how to make interdimensional travel. Like I said, we can't do that either—and even if we could, it would be impossible to do alone."

  "M: I thought books were easy to have in your world."

  "T: Well, yes, but... in reality few people keep a lot of them. With the internet and AI, it's not really necessary. Usually we use computers and phones for work or entertainment."

  LED, AI, internet...—what the hell are all those words?

  "M: I don't see how those things could be entertaining."

  "T: Video games, social media... I'll explain later."

  "M: Whatever. I'm running out of ideas here. I'll reread the books in case I missed something, but I don't think I'll find anything... sigh ... I guess eventually we'll have to go to the capital to look for more information."

  Titla stared at me, confused.

  "M: What?"

  "T: Why do you always seem so against going to the capital?"

  Great. A difficult question to answer.

  "M: I... I don't like it. Too many people, too noisy, everything moves too fast. I prefer the calm of the forest."

  "T: Hmm... so you're a shut-in hermit introvert."

  "M: What thing?"

  "T: Nothing. But... if you like things quiet... why not live in a village? Why isolate yourself alone in this forest? Especially with the Beasts of Silence—it seems way too dangerous."

  I felt a blow to the chest. Could you stop asking such hard questions?

  "M: I... have my reasons."

  "T: Oh... okay."

  The conversation ended. As my consciousness drifted into sleep, I thought about her questions and asked myself one... Why am I here? Unable to find an answer, I decided to ignore my thoughts and let myself be enveloped by unconsciousness.

  After another week, magical training continued. Titla has reached low level in all elemental magics and basic in light and space. At this rate, she'll probably be able to use advanced and combined magic in two years. Is it because she's from another world? Or is she perhaps a contracted one? I wonder... how far can she go?

  "M: Hey, Titla."

  "T: Yeah?"

  "M: Want to try something?"

  "T: ... Uh... what do you have in mind?"

  I drew my macuahuitl.

  "M: Just like with your staff, you're going to infuse mana into the macuahuitl. Just make sure to convert the mana to water type before doing it, then cast the spell. I want to see how much control you have."

  "T: Convert the mana?"

  "M: Yes. Have you felt the difference between using mana and using magic? How the mana 'changes' before you cast spells?"

  "T: Hmm... I think so."

  "M: Well, THAT is mana conversion. Your body transforms raw mana into the appropriate mana for the magic type. The macuahuitl needs you to infuse water mana."

  "T: I don't get it. Aren't both supposed to work as catalysts?"

  "M: I guess it'll be easier if I show you. Watch: if I try infusing raw mana into the macuahuitl... nothing. If I infuse fire mana... nothing. But if I infuse water mana..."

  The blue quartz crystals in the macuahuitl began to glow, and after a swing through the air, a water blade was released.

  "M: Now, see the difference in size compared to my blade without using the macuahuitl."

  Using the same amount of mana, I conjured another blade with my hand. It was noticeably smaller than the one from the macuahuitl .

  "M: You can use water magic in general with it. It's more effective than using your body—and even more so if you use the inscribed spell—but the casting range is much shorter than with the body or an organic tool."

  "T: I get it... so it's like a super-specialized tool... and what about staffs?"

  "M: Lend me your staff for a moment... Unlike mineral tools, organic ones can convert raw mana for you. That's why you could use [Fireball] before you could do it on your own. But if you do it that way..."

  I conjured a fireball in my hand and another with the staff using raw mana. The one from the staff was smaller than the one from my hand.

  "T: Hmm... it's not as powerful."

  "M: Exactly. But if you convert it BEFORE infusing it into the staff..."

  In an instant, the fireball from my staff became larger than the one from my hand.

  "M: Its effectiveness is lower than mineral tools, but it's still more effective than the body if you convert the mana first."

  Titla put a hand to her chin, analyzing everything.

  "T: Ohh... and I guess it's not necessary for the mana to match the staff's type. That's why I've been able to use wind and water with it."

  Wow, this girl definitely has good intuition for these kinds of things.

  "M: That's right. Though it won't be as effective, it'll still be better than the body. Still, the larger the tool, the longer the casting time. Nothing beats the body or a wand when it comes to speed. It may not seem like much, but sometimes fast is better than powerful."

  Titla stayed thoughtful for a few moments after my explanation.

  "T: And the crystal in my staff? Isn't it supposed to be mineral?"

  "M: Any tool can be organic or mineral, but that crystal isn't mineral. It's hardened 'slime' secreted by a kind of fire lizard."

  "T: Ew... Okay, back to the sword—are you sure I can use it? Isn't the spell inscribed in it high-level?"

  "M: Macuahuitl."

  "T: Uh?"

  "M: Not a sword, but a macuahuitl."

  "T: Yes that's... what i said"

  "M: ... Whatever. I'll infuse my mana too. Don't worry—I'll help guide the slash. Just concentrate on casting the spell."

  "T: Alright, let's do it."

  After that we were both holding the macuahuitl , pointing it toward my barrier.

  "M: Good. Now infuse the mana and then try casting [Aqua Slash]."

  Titla narrowed her eyes, gripped the macuahuitl firmly, and after a moment...

  "T: [Aqua Slash]"

  A small water blade no bigger than a utensil struck the barrier.

  "T: Look—I did it!"

  "M: Good, that's how it's done. Now keep going—try to make it bigger this time."

  "T: Sure, [Aqua Slash]"

  "M: Very good—bigger."

  Titla launched slash after slash, excited to see the blade grow little by little until it reached one half metter long. I was excited and impressed too by her skill.

  "T: I don't think I can make it bigger than this."

  "M: That's fine, don't worry—you did great. Now, enough of you... step back a few paces and get behind me. I'll show you what an advanced water mage can do. Get ready to see a huge water blade."

  I said it jokingly, dramatizing my tone and movements. Titla laughed at my terrible attempt to look cool before moving as far back as she could.

  "T: Alright, show me what you can do. Go."

  "M: Of course. [Aqua Slaa... aaaah]"

  As I took a few steps back for more room... I felt myself trip over something. The water blade shot out uncontrollably. I stopped my fall with space magic and looked down—the cause of the stumble... a tetloch, which ran off.

  THOSE DAMN ANIMALS... no, wait—not the time to focus on that.

  "M: Titla—are you okay?"

  I turned back, worried something might have happened to her. Fortunately she was unharmed—just staring straight ahead. I let out a sigh of relief.

  "M: Good. For a moment I thought something might have happened to you. Seriously—I'm going to find out which of those cursed things it was and roast it over coals!"

  I clenched my fist hard, imagining the tetloch as tomorrow's meal.

  "T: Uh... Manahu."

  "M: WHAT!?"

  She simply pointed forward. I looked at her confused, but after a moment I heard a creak. Slowly I followed her finger with my gaze and saw it... the cabin... split in two... The macuahuitl fell from my hands and I stood frozen.

  "T: It's... it's okay. No one got hurt and we can still repair..."

  And as if reacting to her words, the roof collapsed, shattering the rest of the cabin and the garden while the tetloch ran out to avoid being crushed by the wood, followed by a cloud of dirt and dust...

  "T: ...Oh..."

  I brought my hand to my face... took a deep breath... The only one I can blame is myself.

  Mental note: never show off again.

  I don't know if anyone is reading this, but... I already had the first 5 chapters written. From now on, I'll publish one every week... I hope.